Three-pointed Star
by Queen Lucetta
Summary: Misaki is a girl, and is having an affair. Requested by Shiranai Atsune. Het. Now complete. If anyone wants to take this and change it or make it better or restart it, please do so.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Woosh! This here is the first ever request I've gotten! This concept was requested by Shiranai Atsune. I hope I was able to do it justice, feel free to direct me if something isn't going right, or you think I need to put more emphasis on something or less emphasis on others. I'll do my best! Enjoy everyone!

* * *

Takahashi Misaki, twenty-four years old and an aspiring author, had recently moved in with her boyfriend Usami Akihiko full time. It wasn't like this was a new development, they had lived together for the entirety of her university years, but now she had contacted her brother and requested that he bring all of her belongings here as she was moving in with him permanently. It came as a bit of a shock to Takahiro, but he didn't pry too much into the situation. Once he delivered his sister's things to the lavish mansion, he gave them each his blessing with much support.

With her newly obtained degree in Japanese literature, and lover that was quite a celebrity in the literary world, she wanted to pursue a career in writing too. It had become familiar to her, like an old friend that brought her warm feelings of nostalgia. Her first novel underwent many, many revisions, and the whole experience eased her into the world of authorship. It was an- interesting experience for her, but after her first novel saw moderate success, she decided that this would be career. Naturally Usagi was there for her to give advice and sometime tell her the bluntly honest truth about her writing. It could get infuriating at times, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Even though Misaki had opted to also become a writer, she still managed to do the cooking and the cleaning like she always did. The few times she managed to talk her scatterbrained lover into doing the chores, she ended up having to work five times as hard not only completing the tasks she assigned him, but also undoing the mistakes he made. They hadn't been officially married, but the concept had been thrown around here and there. It wasn't like Misaki was in any hurry to settle down, their relationship was fine the way it was as far as she was concerned. They had reached their stride and her current situation was just right.

Her passion was writing girl's love stories with lots of suspense. Her use of romantic elements mixed with in-depth mysteries and intricate plots had garnered her financial success and a strong following among male and female readers alike. While she hadn't reached the critical acclaim that her partner had, this level of fame was good enough for her. The money wasn't bad either.

She was hard at work on her next novel, which was due at the end of the month. Her focus was only broken when she felt two strong arms wrapping around her from behind. An arm pulled tight across her shoulders while a hand playfully cupped one of her breasts. The strong scent of tobacco burned her nose and her mood dropped. "Not now, you pervert! I've got work to do!" She bit her lip, not sure if she had written herself into a corner. The process of wrapping up each mystery was the hardest part, and she needed all the concentration she could get to make sure everything added up. Getting flustered certainly wasn't helping matters, as she had already taken care of all the romantic parts.

Usagi naturally didn't listen and started running his lips along her neck. She jolted up but pretended to stay focussed on her work. "You've been so distant lately, I want you." He purred. She tried her hardest to give no reaction. "Hey, you know what would make your stories even better?" The older asked in a voice that was loaded with naughty intentions.

Either way, Misaki assumed he was going to give her sound literary advice. She wasn't about to pass up on that. "What?"

He tightened his grip on her, and leaned in close to her ear. "More erotica." Was his reply, delivered in a sleazy, seductive whisper.

Annoyed, Misaki threw her arms up and shook him off. "If you're not helping, you're hindering! Take a hike!" It was too late though, her focus was broken and there was no way she'd be able to clue up the double homicide and kidnapping in a satisfying manner now.

Looking wounded, Usagi made his way back into the kitchen. Misaki ended up sighing heavily and saving what little progress she made that day. "Hey." She called in a flat tone.

The older poked his head out and eyed her with intrigue. "Yes?"

She clenched her fists, not really wanting to give in to her lover's perversion, but kind of feeling lonely. "I'm done writing for today…"

That one statement had him back at her side. She stood and he took her into his arms once more. He leaned in then, and kissed her forehead, only to pull back in dismay. Misaki met is eyes, confused, until his hand came up to meet her face. His expression dropped.

"Have you been working too hard again?" He said with a flat tone.

"Wha? What are you talking about?"

"You're getting a fever, have you been neglecting yourself?"

Misaki pondered for a second if Usagi was just teasing her. She felt her own head, it was undeniably warm for sure, but that could be from getting flustered, not that she'd ever admit to that. Though, earlier in the week she did notice a distinct lack of energy, full body weakness, and less motivation than she was used to. Not to mention the sudden cold feeling that would come over her for seemingly no reason. "I'm- just tired. That's all."

Her boyfriend wore an expression that said he wasn't convinced. "You need to get properly rested then, before your fever gets worse."

"It's not a fever!" She protested as she was picked up and carried to their room.

"You're going to take the rest of the day off, no buts."

"I'm fine!"

"I'm not going to let you work yourself sick. I won't allow it." He said decisively as he laid his lover out on their bed. She pouted visibly.

"I told you, I'm f-" her sentence got cut off by a sudden sneeze. Her face went red from embarrassment, it was like nature itself was trying to undermine her words.

"Mi-sa-ki!" Usagi said, stretching out each syllable for emphasis. "I'm not going to have you working yourself sick. Now take it easy, I'll make you some soup."

She raised an eyebrow, "you're going to _MAKE_ me soup?"

"I'll have a five star chef make you soup and a first class delivery service bring it here." He corrected.

The younger rolled her eyes, but would accept it. At least she wouldn't have to worry about the pots being blacked, or the house burning down.

Seconds later she heard the dull mumble of her lover on the phone, possibly enacting his soup making plan. She sighed and pulled the covers over her face. Maybe a break would do her some good.

She didn't notice the phone being hung up shortly after, but he did notice when the door to their room opened. "By the way Misaki, did I tell you that I'd be going out of town for a while?"

Misaki lowered the blankets and eyed her lover with suspicion. "What do you mean out of town?"

"I've got a book launch to attend. It's going to be a whole ordeal…" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So starting tomorrow, I'll be away for a week."

With a low growl, Misaki narrowed her eyes. Every time something significant happened to or with her boyfriend, she was always the last to know. It was beyond infuriating. At least she was made aware before he actually left this time. "Fine then, have a good time…"

"I'm not gone yet." He said in a sleazy voice. At that, he approached and started cuddling her over the sheets. She relaxed in that embrace and her eyes fluttered shut. Maybe she really was coming down with something, not that she wanted to deal with any more delays.

They stayed like that until there was a knock on the door. Usagi let the smaller go then to get the soup. Misaki pouted but knew her lover would be back soon. She smiled loftily as she drifted off before the soup could get to her.

In the morning, Misaki awoke to see the soup on the nightstand by her bed, and a note that just said "I'll miss you, don't work too hard" next to it. Her chest felt warm knowing her special someone was thinking of her. But she'd have to ignore the second half of that note, there was work to do after all. So she sat up and stretched, feeling slightly weaker than yesterday, but resolved to get her book done. The last thing she needed was Aikawa bursting the door down and needling her to meet the deadline. The soup had naturally gone cold, but Misaki was far too tired to cook. It was just the boost she needed to simulate her creative muscle.

After she was done with last night's soup, she staggered out into the common room in a bathrobe and opened her laptop. The familiar words crossed her eyes and her brow furrowed. How to wrap up the story, how to make it satisfying and please the fans…

She didn't know how long she sat there, staring at the screen, but the hours passed. A knock at the door startled her out of her musings, and for some reason she thought it was her lover. It never occurred to her that Usagi wouldn't bother knocking on his own door, especially since he knew Misaki was sick. Still, he didn't say how far out of town he was going after all, so he could be close enough to make a quick trip home. She leapt up, at least as fast as her weakened body could, and made her way to the door.

The door swung open and the weakened Misaki looked out with a grin, ready to greet her lover. However, the Usami at the door was not her lover, but his brother.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Warning, lemons ahead! After they both get their chance, I'm going to flip a coin and see who the father is. Fate will decide and I will adjust the story accordingly~!

* * *

Haruhiko Usami stared back at her, the same stoic and critical expression on his face that he always had. Misaki felt her blood run a little cold, unsure of what to make of this development.

"I heard you were sick." He said in his usual flat tone.

"How did you hear that?" She replied lamely. It was a good question, even she hadn't known about her own illness until last night.

"I brought you some medicine." He replied, dismissing her question entirely. In his hand was an opaque bag hanging down, but it was way too big to only contain medicine.

"Uh, thanks." She said, touching the back of her neck nervously.

"Your face is flushed." He pointed out plainly.

"Uh, yeah, that's true."

At that, the older Usami let himself in. Misaki protested but didn't have the energy to keep him out. He strode in and placed the bag on the counter, taking out a bottle that Misaki assumed was the medicine. Then he turned his attention to the aspiring author. "Come here."

Misaki closed the door can and made her way over to the counter. He held in his hands a bottle of common cough syrup, strawberry flavoured. The author wasn't sure if she should laugh or scoff at the gesture, so she settled on neither. Honestly, how did she always end up in weird situation with the Usami clan? Damn her Usamones…

Silently Haruhiko poured some of the medicine into a spoon and then held it toward Misaki. "Say ahh." He commanded plainly.

The author just rolled her eyes and opened her mouth. The strawberry flavour that hit her tongue wasn't particularly unpleasant. Hopefully this would be the extent of their interaction.

"I'm staying here until you get better." He said decisively.

"That won't be necessary. I'll be fine."

His expression remained unwavering. He said nothing.

"Um, I've got work to do, so-" Misaki stated, yet she knew trying to talk sense into the elder Usami would get her nowhere. Instead she sighed and took a seat by her computer and began typing. Having a while to think about how she'd go about cluing up her novel, she was confident that it would all come together in a satisfying manner.

Minutes passed, the silence only permeated by the clacking of keys. The older Usami eventually made his way over to the author, she tried her best to ignore him. He was surprisingly quiet and patient during the whole time she was working, she even forgot he was there at time.

"Medicine time." He said plainly after an undetermined amount of time passed.

"Huh? Really?" She turned, he was right behind her with a teaspoon in hand. His expression remained unchanged. If this was how it was going to be, she might as well go with it. "Alright, give it to me." She then opened her mouth and the medicine was delivered once more. It made her feel like a kid being forced to take medicine from her parents.

After that he went to exit. "I've got work to do, I'll be back when it's taken care of." With that, he left.

She sighed. As long as it stayed like this, she could deal with it…

-Later-

It had been two weeks, double the time she was told. She hadn't gotten so much as a text as to why Usagi wasn't back yet.

The silence was crippling, she longed for his touch. The lack of information about when he was coming back was eating away at her nerves, driving her crazy, making her wonder what was going on while her lover was away. She almost wished for something, anything to break up the monotony.

The laptop's light was harsh to her eyes. If she wasn't so tired she may have been crying, but she lacked the motivation to even do that. How could she possibly think about finishing her novel when her mind was anywhere but there?

It was pointless, she closed her laptop and sighed. Her body flopped carelessly against the chair as she was too apathetic to even get up. That was, until she heard a familiar knock on the door. The sharpness returned to her eyes and she was quickly on her feet, ready to greet whoever it was at the door.

She flung the door open, there was Haruhiko. "You look stressed." He observed.

Misaki pouted, not quite pleased with who his visitor was, but not denying him access either. "I am, I've got writer's block and the deadline is in a week." Her tone was sharp, but definitely not strong. Weakness and fatigue permeated every syllable, she could do nothing to hide it. Her body language also suggested defeat in every movement.

"I see." He said, deadpanned as ever. No move was made to enter the house. After his constant surveillance of her activity the past two weeks, she wondered why he was hesitating now.

She couldn't help but pout. With her severe lack of energy and motivation, how could anyone expect her to deal with this guy right now?! No, she wasn't going to put up with his usual shenanigans today. "Well? Are you coming in, or are you just going to keep standing there?!"

Without a word, he entered the house. Misaki closed the door behind them, but couldn't shake the odd feeling welling up inside of her. She couldn't quite place what this feeling was, but for some reason, it seemed dangerous.

"I brought you some caffeinated chocolate, in case you needed an energy boost." Haruhiko stated plainly as he sat on the couch.

"Uh, thanks." She replied, moving over and sitting next to him on the couch. There was absolutely zero chance she'd be working anymore today, but the gesture was nice anyway.

"…"

"…"

There was silence. Why, why did it have to be so tense between them? It was the last thing Misaki wanted. She took a breath in preparation to say something, anything, when suddenly an arm fell across her shoulders. This move halted anything she was going to say.

Their eyes locked, Misaki was far more relaxed than expected and put up no resistance. Seconds later she felt his position shift, and suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder, pushing her down into a lying position on the couch. Her eyes went wide but she did nothing to stop it. In all honesty, the sudden gentle aggression was giving her a rush that was both frightening and exciting.

A hand ran under her shirt, and landed softly atop her bra. For the briefest of moments, the logical part of her brain told her to stop this before it got out of hand, but her lonely body shot down that objection in an instant. It felt so good to be touched that she wanted nothing more than to revel in that warmth. She was still conflicted about her feelings for Haruhiko, but right now she was willing nothing but desire.

His long fingers raised her shirt up, and soon after unclasped her bra. She sighed as his hands caressed and groped at her breasts. "Mmm."

He pulled back and stared down the smaller. Her eyes were clouded over with lust, and her logical capabilities were long sense absent. He slid her shirt off all the way, and then leaned down next to her.

Their lips locked and their tongues clashed. Her hips ground against his shamelessly and without inhibitions. She felt a hand reach down and lift the hem of her skirt. It was a little embarrassing, as her panties were already visibly wet, but she was so far beyond caring. He wasted no time in sliding a finger under her panties and slipping them off. She spread her legs as their kiss broke apart.

Feeling bold for some reason, she reached up and undid his tie, sliding it off and tossing it carelessly aside. Her nimble fingers got to work undoing the buttons on his shirt, while he undid his belt. His clothes were quickly shed then, all except for his glasses.

He was taking too long, why was he hesitating? "Haru- hiko..."

Her body arched and she cried out loudly when he entered her. Nails dug into the flesh of his back as he buried himself deep inside. "Ohh, yes…"

"Misaki."

"More- more!" Her hips ground against him, trying to take more of him in. She bit his collarbone and moaned shamelessly.

His movements were gentle. Misaki gently rocked along with the motion of his thrusts, her breasts playfully bouncing. "Yes- Yes-"

"Misaki." He leaned in toward her in an attempt to kiss. Their lips only sloppily met while their breaths ran ragged. The older Usami moved his hand up to play with one of her breasts, lightly pinching a nipple.

"Unh, Ah!"

"Haa."

"Oh, uhn yes!"

His pace quickened, and her grip on his back tightened. Her moans became animalistic, becoming less and less coherent. She arched up and cried out his name. He came nearly silently, but she could feel his seed flood out inside her.

They lay there together on the couch, panting hard, taking in the scent of sweat. Their chests heaved as the numbing tingle in their skin lulled them into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, Misaki woke to find herself looking like a total mess. Aside from the fact that she was nearly naked, save for a ruffled and raised up skirt that was only covering part of her bellybutton and nothing else, she smelled of sweat and the sticky semen and dried juices from last night's tryst remained on her legs. Haruhiko was nowhere to be found, and she was unsure if he was absent because of work, or if he was running just in case his brother returned.

It was then that the realization hit her. In her moment of weakness, she had ended up cheating the man she loved, with the one man he hated. Terror and guilt shook her to the core, and she didn't know how she should go about telling her lover. Guilt, heavy, vicious, powerful guilt consumed every ounce of her being. How could she have let this happen? How could she just cheat on the man she loved so easily?

She got up then, collecting her discarded clothing along the way, and ran into her room. Her pulse raced and her eyes burned. The situation threatened to crush her, as she didn't know what to do. It was the first time something like happened, she never thought it would happen, so she wasn't prepared in the slightest. The only thing she felt like doing was taking a shower, as if that would wash away the truth of what happened last night.

The warm water did feel good, but it didn't ease the aching in her heart. As much as she scrubbed herself, something about what she did seemed unclean. It couldn't be cleansed, that night would forever be a part of her whether she wanted to forget or not.

Upon exiting the shower, she quickly got dressed in her usual attire and tried to focus on finishing her novel. With not much time left, it had to be done no matter what. Still, if she thought it was hard to concentrate before, it was damn near impossible now. Her mind kept cycling back to what happened last night, how in a moment of weakness she allowed herself to be consumed by lust. She wasn't sure if it was shameful, or pathetic, but she did feel remorse. Usagi was her lover, and he didn't deserve to be cheated on while he was at work. It just wasn't fair to him.

Those thoughts weren't helping, but she was determined to finish her work. If there was a knock on the door, she would be sure to ignore it from now on.

The hours passed, and there was no knock. As of now she didn't know if Haruhiko was just dumping her since he got what he wanted, or if he was feeling similarly as she was, or if he was busy with work, or what. A feeling started to swell insider her, she didn't know if it was loneliness, or anger for being used like that. If she wasn't still feeling guilty from giving into him last night, she might have called him and asked where he was.

Night was falling and Misaki was putting in the finishing touches to the latest chapter. Her novel was so close to completion now, and yet she was only feeling fatigue and defeat.

Suddenly the door opened. The author jolted up, panicking. If it was the older Usami again, she didn't know how she'd react. Her pulse rose and fell once she saw her boyfriend stagger forward and even fall onto the couch. After his extended work-related outing, he looked like he was ready to pass out. He did seem to perk up a little once he caught sight of his ever diligent girlfriend working away. "I missed you." He said lazily.

Hearing that only made her feel all the more guilty. She knew under no circumstances would he have done what she did. Either way, she wasn't ready to come clean about what happened last night, so whether or not she was aware of it, she'd put on an act. "Welcome back."

His smile broadened upon hearing those words, and he hauled himself off the couch and made his way toward her. Her breath hitched, but once she felt his touch, her body immediately reacted. He pulled her into a lazy kiss, she responded subconsciously, her lust from yesterday reawakened.

Misaki grabbed her lover's shoulders and deepened the kiss. Her lips opened slightly and her tongue traced the outline of his mouth. If his shirt had been off, her nails would be digging into his flesh.

"You're being unusually forward." He said with a chuckle. "I like it." With that, he picked her up bridal style and carried her to his room.

They ended up on the bed, and Misaki was well beyond her limit to protest. With her mind clouding over with lust once more, she'd give into whatever whims her lover had. Perhaps it would be okay, he'd never have to know what happened last night.

He flipped her onto her belly, and then hiked her skirt up. When her soft, pink panties came into view, he ran his tongue over her slit without taking them off. She purred and wiggled her hips, as if inviting him to go further.

With a mischievous grin, he slipped her panties off. He leaned in then, and placed a hand on either side of her ass, stretching the skin and presenting her entrance. He couldn't help but bring his tongue to her rapidly moistening slit.

"Oh, yes…" She purred. It was hard to be patient, what she really wanted to do was demand he fuck her senseless, but it seemed inappropriate after last night's tryst.

His tongue plunged inside her, and a finger played with her ass all the while. Occasionally he'd purr or hum and the gentle vibration only furthered her arousal. He pulled back with a satisfied looked on his face as he wrapped an arm around his waist and hauled her onto his lap. His lips trailed up her ear, gradually turning into sly nibbles.

"Usagi…" She sighed.

"Misaki…" His wandering hands reached up under her shirt, sliding under her bra and cupping her cute breasts. Quickly he was losing his resolve, and his clothed erection began poking at Misaki's opening.

"Usagi- please-"

She didn't have to beg him, he had already brought a hand down to undo his pants. Misaki ground against him, and he held her hips in place as he entered.

"Uhn, yes, good…"

Even tired as he was, he wasn't about to give a disappointing performance. His hips moved slowly at first, to ease her into it.

But she wasn't having that. She forced her hips down and pressed her back against his chest. He in turn slid his hands under her shirt and took it off. He didn't even bother taking off her bra, and instead felt her up over it.

The stimulation was amazing. Her mouth hung open and censored none of the moans he wrung out of her. "Usagi, Yes, more…"

He grabbed her hip then, and hauled her down. Taking in more of his cock made her squeal and close her eyes.

She groaned and cried out as she hit her peak, feeling her lover's seed gush inside. Her body went limp after that, completely spent from their lovemaking.

Usagi lifted her off his lap, and they ended up lying side by side in their bed. Misaki snuggled into his chest and he wound his arms around her. It felt peaceful, it almost made her forget about how she betrayed him.

For a while they stayed like that, lying together and catching their breath. Eventually he started lazily running a hand through his lover's hair and peppering light kisses throughout. "I love you."

"I-" Her words ceased before completion. Upon saying that, her eyes became misty and her shoulders shook. It just seemed wrong for her to say something like that after such betrayal.

Such behaviour didn't arouse any suspicion in Usagi. He just assumed she was getting emotional after being away from him for so long. It was cute, actually, and he only held her tighter in response. "I love you, Misaki." He said again, his voice silky smooth and inviting. "And I'm glad you're feeling better. It looks like your fever is gone anyway."

She didn't want to admit that her little flu only lasted two days, and that she was cared for by his brother during that time. It would be her secret, even if she knew he deserved to know. Perhaps later, she would come clean. Right now it would only hurt him, and he didn't deserve to be hurt by her actions. "Yeah, I was fine for days already."

"That's good." He nuzzled her, squeezed her tightly, took in her scent. "I'm sorry I was late, things happened, the press got involved."

"It's okay, I'm not mad." Him saying that only made her feel the guilt. Though, in his arms, she felt like he wouldn't hate her even if she told him. The conflict in her mind became blocked out once she felt the gentle lips of her lover running along her neck.

She just sighed and allowed it to happen. Before long sleep came over the both of them.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Happy Friday everyone! The pregnancy will take place later on, instead Misaki will first develop a relationship with Haruhiko.

* * *

It was like nothing unusual happened.

The familiar scene of their morning routine played out like it always did. Misaki cooked their breakfast and Usagi sat nearby scratching down some notes for whatever sleazy novel he was working on. While Misaki was still feeling guilty for what happened two nights prior, now it almost seemed like some kind of fever dream. Being in the presence of banality like this made her resolve to never, ever mention what happened on the couch two nights ago. At first it seemed like a selfish decision, but she eventually rationed that coming clean would only hurt Usagi and increase his already massive stress. It was no secret that Usagi was the jealous type, the absurdly jealous type. If he threw a tantrum over someone touching her on the arm, she couldn't imagine how he'd react to a full on affair.

No, it was definitely better to keep that a secret. She'd make it up to him somehow, maybe, and then never do something like that again.

Just then she heard a knock on the door, it got her heart racing and immediately she thought of Haruhiko. A small part of her wanted it to be him, but she wasn't aware of it. That little twinge of excitement was swallowed up by terror and regret.

Usagi made a move to answer the door, but Misaki stopped him. Quickly she took her pan off the stove and made a run for it. "I'll get it!" She insisted, shoving her lover down as she made her way to the door.

"Misaki?"

"You work on meeting your deadlines! Do you want Aikawa busting the door down again?!"

He raised an eyebrow, but sat back down anyway. Misaki was always one for overdramatic emotional theatrics, so he didn't see this as strange behaviour from her.

Slowly she opened the door just a crack. Her blood ran cold when she saw Haruhiko just standing there casually, his expression flat and unreadable. There was a long moment of silence, Misaki couldn't decide what to do.

"Who is it?" Usagi asked from the couch.

"Ahh! Um, it's uh, it's, A WRONG NUMBER!"

"A wrong number?"

"Ahh, that is, I mean, Err…" By now she had broken into a cold sweat. "Hold on, it's uh, one of my editors from work ahaha. I'll be back in a bit." At that she slammed the door behind her. Once outside she grabbed Haruhiko by the hand and dragged him off, far away from the door.

They ended up running until Misaki ran out of breath. Haruhiko remained silent and stoic until she was done panting, then he cleared his throat and said simply, "I see my brother is back."

She jolted up with a scowl on her face. "You listen here, what happened that night, it was an accident and it absolutely can't happen again. Be grateful that I was willing to let you take advantage of me like that!"

"Advantage, you say…" He adjusted his glasses with a sharp look about him. "You seemed to like it at the time…"

His words hit hard. He had a point. She swallowed and tried to come up with an explanation. "I uh, I was just getting over a fever, and I was lonely. Usagi had to work late, his plane was delayed, there was no cell service…"

"He'll always be like that. You'll always have times when you're lonely because of him. That's why I'm a better match for you. I can make sure you're never lonely…"

"NO!" She said, thrusting her arms down by her side. "Don't you understand?! I love Usagi, I can't just two time him like that! Now let's put this behind us and just move on."

"Hmm, I wonder…" He said contemplatively. "What would happen if he found out…"

"Huh?!"

"I'm just saying, you should give me a chance to prove myself. I can offer you so much more…"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Well, are you prepared to come clean about our night together?" The tone of his voice was equal parts stoic and ambiguous. It was unclear if he was threatening her or not.

Terror gripped her again. Even though his expression was flat and his tone emotionless, the possibility of being told on was very real. Her options ran through her mind. Ig he did decide to tell on her, it was possible for her to deny what Haruhiko was saying, and the truly sand thing was, Usagi would probably believe her. She could easily say that he was making the whole thing up to put a wedge between them, and while she was a terrible actor, she thought the lie was believable enough to pass. All she'd have to do was deal with a dramatic spike in jealousy for a while until things went back to normal between them. But then, if she couldn't pull off the lie, what would happen then? Was it worth the risk?

Haruhiko stared her down with unwavering determination while she squirmed and argued with herself internally. Silence hung heavy between them, permeated only by the sound of cars in the distance or a gentle gust of wind. Misaki felt her pulse pounding in her ears and a sickness in her stomach well up. After a long pause, she sighed and resolved to keep her secret. "What are your conditions?" She said finally, in a low, defeated voice.

"My conditions…"

"For not telling Usagi. What do you want from me?"

"I want to take you on a date every week, for one day on the weekend."

"Is that all?"

"Perhaps, for now…"

She bit her lip. While she expected him to demand much more from her, what he was asking might have been too much. "If I'm gone every weekend, he's going to get suspicious!" That was the last thing she needed. Even a hint of suspicion could cause a huge disaster with a lover as jealous as Usagi.

"I'm sure you can think of something." He said finally. "After a few months I'll let you go, if you still think he's a better lover."

An angry sigh escaped her, but she could agree to this. He wasn't asking for anything too unreasonable, perhaps. He hadn't mentioned anything about sex, so perhaps his intentions were innocent. "FINE! But you'd better not say a thing to him! I'm serious!"

"Very good." He said. "Meet me at the coffee shop this Saturday, we'll start our date then." With that he turned to leave.

"I'm not doing any sexual stuff with you!" She called out after him, just so they were clear.

He said nothing, as if he didn't hear her, and just left.

A very flustered Misaki then made her way back to the house. When she entered, Usagi was staring her down with his usual suspicious look. "You're acting weird Misaki, what's going on?"

"Ah, uh, nothing. It was just work related…"

"Is that so?" His eyes narrowed and he made his way over to her. "Who was at the door? I want their full name."

"Uh, it was, um, I dunno their name, they're uh, new."

The expression on his face said he wasn't buying this for a second. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying! Things have just been complicated okay? You'd probably know that if you bothered taking your work seriously!"

That seemed to quiet him, for now anyway. He sighed heavily and sat back down. "I know I've told you this countless times already, but you're too simple. Someone's going to take advantage of your good nature."

She swallowed and tried to keep her emotions in line. "You worry too much."

"I only worry because I love you. If you were more diligent in not letting other people touch you, I wouldn't have to be like this."

His words made her want to cry, but she didn't. If she did that wouldn't help the situation. "Just a touch doesn't mean anything…"

"It does to me." He said simply, getting up and wrapping both of his arms around her. "I don't want anyone touching you. You're mine and mine alone."

"Usagi-"

He tilted her head back and kissed her then, putting in all of his feelings of longing and jealousy into it. Eventually she shoved him away. "That's enough from you." She strode off then, to the kitchen where their breakfast sat half cooked. "Maybe, we can continue that after breakfast."

"Misaki?"

"I mean, you're tired aren't you? I'll be sure to take care of you, after breakfast, maybe, perhaps."

Seeing his lover get suddenly flustered and shy made him smile, and so his doubt eased. "Alright. Take your time." He said lightly. Apparently a few nice words and a bit of romantic misdirection was enough to throw him off the scent. She wondered how well she could use this misdirection in the future, no doubt she'd need it for her little weekend adventures with his brother.

Either way, as long as he was unaware of what she did, they could continue living like they have been. Her mind now as not on breakfast, but one making up an excuse for why she'd be absent on the weekends.


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday rolled around and Misaki was completely on edge from the moment she woke. Carefully, she slipped out of bed and tried her hardest not to wake her lover. It would probably be easier for her to leave a note and explain where she was once she returned. Already she knew he'd be mad, and suspicious, but she figured she could explain it somehow. Perhaps she could make it up to him somehow, she already had an idea of what he'd like. It was a small price to pay, as far as she was concerned.

Once she was out of bed, she picked out some casual clothes and got dressed in the bathroom. If she was quiet enough, perhaps she could sneak out undetected.

Luckily for her, her latest novel had been a huge success, compared to her usual metrics anyway. She left a note saying that she was doing a signing, but of course didn't give any details. If she named a location, she knew Usagi would show up there to show support. So instead she just said she'd be doing a signing, and that she didn't know how long it would take. She didn't even feel bad about being vague, since Usagi was usually casual about his work in the same fashion.

Haruhiko didn't set a time for their meeting, but when she arrived he was already there. It was actually surprising to see him in casual dress and not in a suit. Actually, his appearance reminded Misaki of what a tourist might look like. She may have chuckled to herself if she hadn't been blackmailed into coming here. So she approached and sat at the table with Haruhiko. He raised his gaze to meet her. "You came alone?"

"Of course!"

"Does Akihiko know where you are?"

She growled and clenched her fists. This man was absolutely infuriating with his stupid questions. "If he did I wouldn't be here. Now let's get this over with already!"

Haruhiko adjusted his glasses, but otherwise remained completely expressionless. "I thought we could start our date right here."

Misaki was taken aback slightly. Knowing Akihiko, he'd go all out and take her to some ritzy, glamorous, expensive location. The change in pace seemed, nice, maybe. "Wait, you mean, we're starting off at this café?"

"Is that acceptable?"

"Err, well, yes." She looked away then, feeling oddly at ease.

"Please, order whatever you want. Or did you already have breakfast?"

"No, I'll order." At that, he slid the menu over to her. The humble and homey atmosphere made it easier for her to think about what she wanted, since she didn't feel like she had to pretend. High culture generally wasn't for her, and she didn't feel like she was out of place. "I'll have a cherry tea and a snowball cake." Her voice was low and slightly combative. She hadn't expected the day to go like this, and it was a welcomed surprise.

Haruhiko hailed a waiter and put in the order. A few minutes later he returned and brought the goods.

For a brief moment, Misaki stared with a somewhat confused look about her. "Is there a problem?" Haruhiko chimed in plainly.

"No, uhm, it's just that this is really different from what I'm used to."

"Is that so…" His flat tone remained unwavering. "Is this unsatisfactory?"

"Stop asking that!" She said finally. "I told you this is fine." At that she picked up her snowball, which was in the shape of a white rabbit. Cute, no doubt, but it sort of made her feel like a kid. She then savagely bit off the rabbit's head, a light cream filling her mouth in the process. It was good, surprisingly good. Her face lit up whether or not she was aware of it.

Haruhiko said nothing, just observed.

Misaki in turn tried not to look directly at him, but she couldn't help but notice his unwavering gaze directed at her. The silence was becoming strained, and the author cleared her throat. "Are we done after this?"

"I do have a day planned for us…"

"And?"

"After this, I thought we could visit a local park, maybe get some lunch, finish with a movie…"

Misaki bit her lip. What he was proposing didn't seem so bad. Time consuming, sure, but she already knew she'd be with him all day. Just as long as he didn't try to get her back to his house, she'd be fine. "I see."

"Do you have any objections?"

"No, it seems fine."

There was a long, silent pause. Misaki tried to look away while she ate her cake. Haruhiko said nothing, occasionally he'd look away as he sipped whatever drink he had ordered. Eventually the atmosphere became so awkward that Misaki had to break the silence with something, anything. "So uh, how are things with you?"

"…Decent."

"Oh, okay then." She touched the back of her neck nervously. "So, my latest novel is now my best selling."

"Congratulations."

"Yeah, uhm, I have to get to work on the next one soon. Those deadlines really creep up on you if you're not diligent."

"Makes sense." He said, adjusting his glasses. Misaki could only think of him as a social disaster, perhaps she'd have to lead the conversation for the rest of the day.

Though, for a while, she let the silence hang between them. Haruhiko remained unreadable the whole time, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Instead she decided to let herself get lost in the casual buzz of a family café. The general hustle was oddly calming for some reason.

Upon finishing up, Haruhiko paid the bill. Once Misaki stood, he took her by the hand and they casually headed off to their next destination. Apparently they could do the first few things on his list on foot. The strolling wasn't so bad, but she really wished he wouldn't hold her hand. It was beyond embarrassing and on the off chance someone caught her, it would be much harder to explain. Luckily, she didn't run into anyone she knew, so hopefully no word would reach Usagi.

Haruhiko basically led the date, taking Misaki from place to place without much explanation. He wasn't completely devoid of emotion though, he'd offer a kind word here and there. At the end he took her to a mystery thriller, without any hints from her. She was deeply impressed, and when she questioned him on why he chose that particular movie, he only mentioned that it was a genre Misaki liked. This only impressed her further.

Their date ended a little after supper time, Misaki insisted on going home to prepare a meal. Usagi was going to be mad enough already, if she stayed out any longer the police might start looking for her. Haruhiko pulled up to the coffee shop in which their date started and let her out. She had insisted that he do this so that Usagi wouldn't see him dropping her off. They bid farewell and Haruhiko drove away.

The author had a lot to think about on her walk back home. The date wasn't unpleasant, and the common, simple touch was a welcomed change to the usual extravagance Usagi treated her to. It wasn't like she hated the extravagance Usagi provided, but she also couldn't deny that having a regular date resonated with her on a more personal level.

A sudden anxiety crept into her as she entered her house. She fully expected Usagi to be waiting, obviously angry and ready to interrogate her on everything that went on while she was away. Instead, once her presence was realised, she was greeted by an enthusiastic smile and a rather large bouquet. "Welcome home." He said jovially. "How was your day?"

This wasn't what she expected. She fully expected Usagi to be angry, or suspicious, or both. Though, this was a much better scenario, and so she'd go with it. "Uh, a little tiring." She said in the most assured tone she could muster. "So many questions, and people asking when the next one's coming out…"

Usagi nodded, understanding. "I'm proud of you, Misaki. You were able to take care of work all by yourself." He handed her the flowers then, and made a move to the table. Right away Misaki noticed a modest spread on the table, and an obviously expensive bottle of wine in plain view. "Come." He said.

"Uh, thanks." She took a seat with a sigh. Apparently she really was as tired as if she spent the day working, and really her appetite was gone from eating with Haruhiko earlier. "Did you make this?"

"I tried."

Misaki looked over what she was presented. While it wasn't exactly gourmet, it looked and smelled edible. Considering that Usagi made it, she knew that he must have put a great deal of care and attention into making something that wasn't charcoal. It felt kind of bad to reject it outright. "I already ate at the signing…"

"Is that so? Would you rather just have some wine?"

"…How about we just go to bed?"

"Misaki?"

"I'm too tired to do anything else, let's just go to bed."

"It's pretty early." His voice had then become silky smooth, and his intentions had become pretty clear.

"Why do you think I said 'we?' Let's just go to bed together already..."

Usagi knew all too well the fatigue caused by dealing with the general public. So he didn't see anything suspicious about her request. Being obliging as he was, he picked her up bridal style and carried her to their room. She clung to him and offered no resistance.

She was then laid out on the bed and Usagi slowly began undressing. She could only watch absently, feeling guilty about lying, but also feeling obliged to give Usagi the affection he deserved.


	6. Chapter 6

During the week, Misaki ended up being uncharacteristically affectionate with Usagi. He certainly didn't complain, but he did find it a little odd. She ended up telling him that she was just happy her book was doing so well. The real reason was because she was still feeling guilty about going behind his back to date his brother, and her unusual level of affection was a sort of compensation. She'd never be able to tell him that though, so she just kept on lying about it.

Luckily for her, since Usagi was so into her coming up to him unprovoked and cuddling in, or giving him a kiss on the cheek, or even dragging him into their bedroom that he didn't even bother looking too hard into why she was suddenly doing these things. He more or less just went along with it. Though, these actions only ended up making Misaki feel even guiltier.

On Friday she knew she'd have to come up with another excuse to get out of the house all day without rousing too much suspicion. She didn't think she could just keep saying there were book signings or other work related endeavors to attend, so she ended up thinking about what she could use as a dodge. Naturally she was on edge all day, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Misaki." The older said suddenly, causing the younger to jolt up. "You seem really tense, is there something on your mind?"

"Err, well, that is…" Now that she was confronted, she'd have to think of something quickly. Her pulse raced as she frantically thought of something. "Uhm, Nii-chan wants me to babysit for him tomorrow." That was the only thing that came to mind, and now that it was out, she'd have to run with it.

"Oh, I see." He responded, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I haven't heard anything from him."

"Erm, well, that's because he wanted me to go alone. Mahiro is sick and he didn't want both of us catching it…"

"Huh, how thoughtful of him." He responded plainly. "I should probably come anyway."

Misaki bit her lip. Even when they babysat Mahiro together, Usagi ended up getting jealous and demanding that Misaki pay equal attention to him. As childish as that was, it was still a little endearing. "No, I think you should stay here. Don't you have deadlines to meet or something?"

Usagi sighed. "I always have deadlines. It hasn't stopped me before."

"Yeah well, I just want to spend some quality time with my nephew. Every time you come with me you complain the whole time that I'm not paying attention to you!"

He ended up pouting slightly. "It's because I don't like it when you pay attention to someone who's not me."

She growled at that, frustrated that he chose to say things like that, but had to hold firm. "Can't I have just one day when I spend some quality time with my nephew? Geez."

Usagi just continued to pout. "Fine. But I'm not happy about it." He said, still pouting.

"Alright, how about I bring you back a trinket?"

"I'll still miss you all day..."

She sighed and just decided to ignore him. At that she quickly sent a text to Takahiro, having to lie to him too. Basically, she told her brother that she was planning a surprise something or another for Akihiko and that she was using him as a dodge. She asked him to corroborate while she planned, naturally Takahiro was on board with that. She sighed in relief and put her phone away.

-Saturday-

Misaki left early, only arguing marginally with her whiny boyfriend. She still made him breakfast and ate with him before she left. A sigh escaped her as she made her way to the cafe. Just like last time, Haruhiko was there waiting for her, dressed in casual clothes and looking stoic. She approached and took a seat, wondering if they'd repeat their last date.

"So what's going on this time?" She said skeptically.

He kept his calm demeanor and spoke decisively, "I was thinking maybe you could choose what we do today."

Misaki scoffed, but figured she could use this to her advantage. "Well then, first thing we'll need to do is visit a craft shop, I'll need to pick up some black and white material, preferably something fluffy and soft, and some stuffing. Oh, and since I'm out here I'll need a needle and thread and some scissors..."

Haruhiko, who was listening carefully, nodded. "May I ask why you're searching for these particular items?"

She wasn't going to bother lying to him, even if it hurt him. "In order to come here I had to lie to Usagi and my brother, and since I don't want to drag my brother into this, I want to at least live up to the lie I told him." She bit her lip, but continued, "so I need to make a present for Usagi, so that it won't seem like I lied to my brother."

His expression remained stoic, but it was easy to tell that he wasn't happy with that answer. "Very well, when we secure the materials, where should we go so that you can work?"

"I'm thinking, maybe, your place." Her voice went low, but she thought that was the best course of action.

"Very well." He replied. After that he stood and made his way back to his car. Misaki followed and they drove off.

They only stopped once on their way to the Usami house, to collect the supplies. Misaki said she was going to attempt to make a giant stuffed panda, and surprisingly Haruhiko had no objections. They arrived and Haruhiko insisted on taking her to his room. She marginally protested, but eventually gave in and got to work.

For a while there was a silence between. Haruhiko did nothing to disrupt Misaki while she worked, electing to watch quietly. After a while, Misaki sighed and sat back. She had made some great progress, but there was still a substantial amount of work left to do. "Can you get me some tea?" She asked, looking defeated and in need of a break.

Haruhiko said nothing and left the room. With him gone, she stood and stretched. Her eyes were drawn to a bookshelf in his room, and she decided to snoop a little. She was more or less interested in what he deemed worthy of reading, since he took such a harsh stance on his brother's work.

It didn't take her long to notice that the entire top shelf was filled entirely with her works. She was legitimately surprised, and wasn't sure if she was weirded out or flattered. Eventually she settled on a little of both, but mostly flattered. How could she not be flattered when a man so critical of the literary genius of Akihiko Usami had a shelf full of her works? She browsed, seeing if he had any particular preference, and noticed that he also somehow had a copy of one of her promotional books, called a 'gold series.' This particular book had only one hundred copies in existence, and was only available for a few days during its first launch. It contained her commentary about the story and some original concepts and rejected ideas that didn't make it into the finished product. The fact that he had a copy made her wonder what he went through to get a copy.

Haruhiko returned shortly after with a tray, a fragrant tea and some strawberry and cherry tarts. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Misaki by the shelf.

"You read my books?"

"…yes."

She was speechless. Her heart fluttered and she felt her face heat up, but tried her hardest to suppress the feelings welling up inside her. "Um, well, did you like them?" She half expected him to say it was entry level trite, or not worthy of him, or something to that effect. Yet, she also expected him to be a fan considering the number of her books that he had.

"…They're pretty good. Suspense and crime drama are genres of interest to you, aren't they?"

She couldn't help but feel flustered at his attention to details like that. Remembering their first date, he did take her to a movie like that without being prompted, so perhaps he was going off of what he read in her novels? "Yeah well, write what you're passionate about, right?" She turned away, trying not to give in to the flattery. "But anyway, about the gold series…"

"…That one's my favorite." He said simply. "Your voice really comes out in it."

Upon hearing that, she didn't even feel the need to question how he managed to secure a copy and instead decided to say nothing. She took the tray and made her way back to corner where she had been working. Silence fell again.

After a while, Haruhiko approached. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Not really." She said, turning away. "I'm almost done anyway. I'll have to leave soon, so I guess when this is done I'll go."

He just adjusted his glassed and sat down nearby and observed. Misaki continued working diligently until the panda plush was completed. It was a little crude, but considering the time constraints, it was pretty decent. The author just sighed, apparently out of energy. "Well, that's that." She said decisively.

"Hmm." Haruhiko replied with a nod.

"I guess it's time to go back now…"

"Hmm." He said. While he did seem a little displeased that their date was so uneventful, he didn't seem too disappointed. Misaki was grateful that he didn't try to keep her trapped in a room this time, and they both left.

The drive didn't take too long, and just as Misaki was about to exit with her oversized handmade panda plushie, one of her hands was seized. Haruhiko gave it a quick kiss before releasing it and acting like nothing happened. Naturally Misaki pulled her hand away and scoffed, but Haruhiko didn't seem bothered. She got out then, at the café meeting place, and he simply drove away.

She made her way back to her house and let herself in. Usagi was looking forlorn behind his laptop until she entered, and he instead focussed on her. "Welcome back." He said simply.

At that, she strode up to him and held out the panda wordlessly. Usagi eyed it with intrigue. "What's this?"

"Mahiro was in bed sleeping most of the day, so uh, I made you this in my spare time…"

His eyes lit up much like a child's would, and he grabbed her and pulled her onto the couch. "Hey!" She protested to no avail. Light kisses were placed on her face and neck while his grip on her kept her in place.

"You were thinking of me all day, weren't you?"

"So what if I was?" She growled.

"I love you." He responded simply. With his arms wound tightly around her, it was clear they weren't moving from that spot for a while. Misaki just sighed and resigned herself to the merciless affection of her boyfriend.


	7. Chapter 7

Happy Valentine's day everyone! Sort of semi-lemon head, but nothing too serious this time.

* * *

Misaki found herself at her computer and stifled yet again by writer's block. The mystery had only just begun, and yet she couldn't figure out a decent and interesting way to get it started. Naturally, it made her annoyed and her temper was starting to flare. After her last novel was a huge success, she naturally wanted to top what she did last time to keep the momentum going. Of course, that just put more pressure on her, and so she found herself unable to come up with anything. It was probably the first time she legitimately couldn't think of a way to start her novel, and she was finally starting to realise the pressure Usagi must feel every time Aikawa starts hassling him to meet deadlines.

Of course that didn't stop a somewhat disinterested Usagi from coming up behind her and nuzzling into her like he always did. She growled and squirmed and attempted to throw him off. "Do you always have to interfere with my work?" The deadline wasn't close by, but she knew they tended to sneak up on her if she didn't stay on top of things.

"You're just so cute when you're thinking." He said. "How about we write a love scene together?" His voice held its usual sleazy tone, all the while he peppered kisses along the back of her neck.

While she was annoyed at the writer's block, and Usagi's constant attention, she already knew she wasn't going to make much progress on her mystery elements today. Perhaps raising sales and interest could be done by building up some of the more romantic elements. She hadn't put a full on love scene in her novels before, most of that was just implied. So she sighed and resigned herself to go along with whatever he wanted. "You do know I write girl's love right?" She said lamely, but not convinced that it would mean anything to him. Whenever he was in the mood, talking to him logically was a pointless endeavor.

"I'm aware of that." He said while bringing his tongue over her ear. "That's fine, I can still provide some valuable knowledge for you." His arms wound tightly around her and he pressed his body as close to her as he could.

"Really now." She replied in a flat tone. "How do you plan on doing that?"

Usagi raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Misaki's challenge. He picked her up and carried her bridal style to the couch, she didn't even bother resisting. "I'll show you what I mean." He laid her out, she only watched him with mild skepticism and intrigue. Slowly and sensually, he began undoing the buttons on her shirt. Misaki blushed but tried her hardest to keep a stoic face. Eventually he slid her shirt off, and she helped by wiggling out of it. He leaned in then, and ran a hand under her bra while the other hand worked on unclasping it. With a slight chuckle, he said simply, "should we role play as the characters from your story?"

"No!" She said, unbelievably embarrassed at such a suggestion.

"Fine, fine." His voice was completely compliant and soft. At that he took off her bra and began sucking on her cute nipples. A hand ran under her skirt, and he slowly ran his fingertips over her leg close to her panties.

"Ohh," She purred. "Mmm."

His teeth ran over her breast and she jolted up. The hand running up her leg suddenly seized her panties and hauled them off. Fingers prodded her as her neck was attacked by his hungry lips, all she could do was helplessly moan. "Haa-"

"You're so sexy." He whispered as he captured her lips in a soft, sweet kiss. His fingers ran along her slit and her hips shifted, as if let them in. "You've already gotten this wet and I've barely touched you."

"Shut up, you pervert." His hand mercilessly tormented her, but he made no move to enter. "Nng." She sighed. The gentle touch was nice, but already she wanted more, and grabbed his arm. "Stop stalling…" She pleaded in a longing tone.

"As you wish." He said compliantly, ready to go inside.

Just then she heard her phone go off, and instantly she was brought back to reality. She shoved Usagi off of her, quickly wrapped her shirt around her again and doing up one button to hold it in place, and went over to answer. Naturally her lover wasn't happy about that and followed after her.

The I.D. said that it was "Akira from work." That was her code for Haruhiko, and she wondered why he was contacting her in the middle of the week. Usagi looked over her shoulder as she answered, the look on his face said he wasn't pleased.

"Hello?" She said, trying to keep her voice neutral. Residual lust and aggravation shone through a little, but not enough for Haruhiko to pick up on it.

"Misaki, I wanted to discuss the terms of our agreement further." After what happened in their last date, he was convinced that he had to up his game. The fewer lies she had to tell, the more time they could spend together, interacting. He felt excluded last time, and it was only because Misaki spent most of their time actualizing the lie she told to meet with him in the first place. He was despondent about that, but it would be impossible for anyone to tell.

"You mean right now?" She said in a somewhat annoyed voice.

"As soon as you can make it, come to café."

She rolled her eyes at his persistence. "Are you already there?"

"I'm not, but I can leave immediately if you're going."

She ended up sighing, but conceding. "Give me twenty minutes. I've got stuff to do and I'll meet with you once I'm done."

"Understood." He said, then abruptly hung up. Usagi had a look about him that said he wasn't too happy.

"Who's Akira?" His jealousy was evident, but he wasn't trying to hide it.

"Just some guy from work, he wants to discuss the progress of my novel."

Clearly he wasn't happy about that. "Are you running off to see him right now?"

"You heard me say 'give me twenty minutes' didn't you?" She bit her lip and blushed. "So uh, we could probably finish up the scene we were working on…"

Usagi raised an eyebrow, but was not unhappy about her response. "Really now?" He licked his lips with a mischievous look in his eye. "Are you going to tell this Akira all about our scene?" By now he was already leaning in and dangerously close to nibbling on her ear again. Apparently his suspicions were put to rest in the presence of lust. His hand rested on the one button keeping her shirt on. He pressed against her and she could feel the bulge in his pants.

She scoffed, but she'd roll with it. "No, he'll just have to find that out during the editing phase. I'll just tell him that I'll be putting in more romance in the next book." She sighed, her face blazing with embarrassment. "But, I really just want to get over my writer's block, so… Let's just work on that…" After saying that, she blushed and turned away. Even after being together so long, she still found it difficult to express her feelings, especially her feelings of desire.

"Twenty minutes though, I want a few more than that."

"Well too bad! Twenty minutes is all you get!"

"Very well." Usagi said, picking her up again, this time carrying her to their bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

Misaki and Akihiko did end up going slightly over their agreed upon twenty minutes, but Misaki wasn't too broken up about that. Usagi whined incessantly as she redressed and made herself presentable for her meeting with the mysterious Akira from work, but she largely ignored that. He tried to convince her to shirk the work like he always did, and that he would destroy whoever Akira was if he dared make a move on her, and other such empty rhetoric. She just ignored him and dodged all of his questions. She was sure to give him as little information as possible, since she didn't want him to catch on to her actual activities.

After she was able to throw off her overprotective and absurdly jealous boyfriend, she made her way to the café as per usual. Haruhiko was there already, looking disinterested like he always did. Misaki took a seat and he regarded her with a sort of sharp expression that she hadn't seen before. He was definitely focussed, and she wondered if he was planning something dubious.

He cleared his throat and began, "I'm glad you're here." He said simply.

"Yeah yeah, so what about our current agreement did you want to amend?" Her main concern was that he'd demand she do something far beyond her comfort zone. His brother would certainly suggest something like that. If that was the case, she'd have to face up to her mistake and come clean, as she didn't want to add to her already shameful tryst. Her nervousness wasn't apparently obvious but Haruhiko could tell something was a little off. He sighed and began speaking.

"I think, we need to spend more time together."

She rolled her eyes at such a request. "What's wrong with our current set up? You get a full day once a week."

"…It's not a full day though…"

"Yeah well, it's not easy trying to come up with excuses you know. If we keep doing this, he's definitely going to get suspicious. And do you expect me to spend the night at your place?!" That seemed to be where he was going, and she wasn't the least bit pleased about that.

He largely ignored her question and continued on, "I want to ask to you spend one full week with me, if you agree you won't have to go on any more dates with me. I'll leave you alone after that."

"How do you expect that to work?! You think I can just leave for days at a time without Usagi worrying about me? He'll have all the police in the country looking for me if I was gone for a week!"

"I've got a plan as to how that could work."

She wasn't impressed by his persistence. "And you want me to stay with you? As in, sleeping with you?"

"I would like it if you did, not in a sexual way, just staying the night…"

Misaki rolled her eyes, it all seemed highly dubious. "Why? What was wrong with our old set up?"

"Our last date, you spent all of your time worrying about Akihiko…"

"He is my boyfriend. You're not."

Haruhiko didn't appear to have his usual stoic expression upon hearing that, he was visibly despondent. She could see a cavalcade of sadness and loneliness, and it tugged at her heartstrings ever so slightly.

'No, don't let him get to you. It's an emotional tactic for sure.' She though, taking a deep breath and preparing to speak decisively. "Look, it's not like I don't like you. You're a good guy in your own right, it's just that I'm already in a relationship. You just need to find a girl who's not already taken…"

His expression didn't change, he turned his face away. "I'm lonely you know, without you."

She tried her hardest to not be moved by him. 'It's an emotional plea. He'd trying to manipulate you. Don't fall for it!' "You can find someone else you know, I'm not the only girl out there…"

"But… it has to be you. You're the one I fell in love with."

'Why do I only attract the obsessive weirdos?' She thought. "I'm sure you could find someone even better for you if you bothered to look. Someone more interesting, someone more beautiful…"

"…It has to be you."

It was a losing battle, so she sighed in defeat. "You already know I'd have to make up an even bigger lie to hang out with you for a whole week. It was hard enough just getting out for the day."

"I can make that happen." He said, but didn't elaborate.

"How?!"

"Just, leave it to me."

"What, are you going to tell him personally or something?" She was starting to get more and more impatient.

"I'll just text you the lie when I have everything sorted out, and we can spend the whole week together. Is that acceptable? If you still think he's a better lover after that, I promise to leave you alone."

It was too good a deal to pass up on, so she figured she'd go along with it. If she could hold out for a week, then perhaps she could put all of this behind her. Somehow she thought he wouldn't hold up his end of the bargain, but it was at least worth a shot. "Alright, do you promise to leave me alone after this?"

"…Yes."

"Alright, I'll leave the lying up to you. But if I find your lie to be weak, the deal's off! So think carefully about whatever plan you come up with!"

He nodded, apparently pleased that this worked out. "While we are together, I want us to actually spend some time together."

She rolled her eyes. "Will I have any other choice?"

"I won't do anything you don't like."

"Tsk." It sounded like an elaborate trap. She'd try to guard herself as best she could just so she could get this phase of her life over with already. "Fine."

"Very good." He said with a slight sigh. Then he cleared his throat, "you're free to go now, unless you want to stick around…"

"No, I'm leaving." She said. With all of that cleared up, she just wanted to get back to Usagi before he got too whiny or suspicious. "Don't call me again until you've set everything up."

"Fine…" He said plainly.

With that, Misaki just got up and left. As of now she wasn't sure what kinds of things he was planning, but he certainly didn't seem malicious. He seemed a lot more restrained in his emotions and actions than Usagi did. Though, now that she thought about it, this encounter did give her a little inspiration for her next mystery. Her idea was having one of her characters getting captured by an old friend while the other searched for her. It would be a crime of passion, perpetrated by an insane ex-lover driven to the brink by jealousy desire. Suddenly she was fired up and ready to get in a few good chapters, even if the situation seemed way too similar to the one she'd soon find herself in. It was a little unnerving, but she'd take anything to get out of her slump.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: After this Friday, the update schedule will go back to being Fridays only, unless I get instruction to post more.

* * *

It was an average, uneventful Friday. Misaki sat at her computer furiously typing, finally finding inspiration to proceed with her novel. She hadn't gotten around to writing the love scene yet, she figured she could ask Usagi to help her out with that when she finally got around to doing it. Instead she focussed on the crime of passion that she concocted earlier that week. Haruhiko had only contacted her a few times during the week via text to inform her of the plan. He'd been very cryptic and hadn't let her in on most of the plan, so far all she knew was that he was planning on catching Usagi off guard. She had no idea what that meant, but she was assured that she wouldn't be greatly affected.

It had been a while since she heard from Haruhiko, and so he wasn't really on her mind. Instead she was trying to accurately write how someone might act when they're being held hostage by a former lover. So far she'd been doing great, but now she was finding herself in a corner. The scene was the former lover attempting to use persuasion of a violent nature to win back one of the girls. Meanwhile, her lover was using every resource available to find her and bring her back safely. Misaki wondered what kind of evidence could be found to lead the lover on the trail, but was now finding it difficult to come up with something believable.

Usagi was shirking his work as always, idling in front of his laptop looking bored. It wasn't like he hated his job, he was just more or less too lazy to keep writing. So instead, he closed his computer and made his way over to his ever diligent lover. "Hey Misaki, what are you writing right now."

She didn't turn away, instead she stayed focussed. "Don't distract me, I'm at a crucial point." If she lost her focus for even a second she knew she'd fall into writer's block for the rest of the day. Her current chapter streak had to continue, so she wouldn't put up with any of his shenanigans.

He leaned up and looked over her shoulder, casually reading what was on the screen. He seemed fairly interested, and began speaking. "I could totally sympathize with the ex-lover. If you suddenly left me for someone else, I'd do anything to get you back."

She bit her lip in frustration. "You'd be okay with tying me up and holding me against my will? You really think I'd take you back after that?"

"I already want to keep you all to myself." He licked his lips then, "and tying you up, that sounds kinky."

She growled but tried to ignore it. "Well then, let's put you in the shoes of the detective. What if someone captured me, what would you do to get me back?"

"I would personally destroy anyone who'd dare try to take you from me." He said, moving closer and hugging her from behind.

"But imagine if you woke up one day I was just missing, how would you go about looking for clues, where would you look, who would you question?"

His face dropped. Even if this was just a hypothetical, he didn't want to have to think about such things. "Let's change the subject…" He said, not bothering to hide his dismay.

"But I'm really stuck, all the leads have run dry, and time is running out. There's also the possibility of Stockholm syndrome…"

Before Usagi could voice a response, the phone rang. He elected to ignore it, but Misaki wasn't having that. "Go answer that!"

"It's probably just Aikawa, hounding me about deadlines again…"

"Be responsible and answer it already!"

"Fine, fine." Reluctantly he let her go and made his way over to the phone. "Hello?" His tone was flat and disinterested, and his expression fell further after hearing who it was. "Are you sure? Right now?" He sighed. Misaki listened in, wondering what was going on. "How long? Seriously." Misaki raised an eyebrow then. It seemed suspicious, but she tried not to think too much about it. "That's ridiculous, how did you manage to schedule those at the same time?" His tone became more heated and his expression showed annoyance. "Fine, but make sure to think ahead next time, I'm not going to do this again if you're so careless." As he hung up the phone, Misaki got a text message. After checking she could see it was from Haruhiko, but she didn't read it right away. "So annoying…" He said with a sigh.

"What's going on?"

"Apparently I've been signed to visit some literary convention, against my will of course."

This wasn't something new, so Misaki just nodded, "when?"

"In four days. But it's not just some local thing this time, it's in America."

That caught her attention. "What?"

"Yeah, and to make matters worse, they scheduled you to be on a panel screening new writers during that time, so I won't even be able to take you with me." He appeared visibly agitated at that, but it all made sense to Misaki now.

"That's- really unfortunate." She said, touching the back of her neck. The timing of these things were just too convenient, and somehow she knew Haruhiko was behind this.

"I really wish they'd stop doing things without my permission…"

Misaki cleared her throat, knowing that this was her way out. "Be a man! Start taking your work seriously!"

"But, it's going to be so lonely without you…"

She rolled her eyes at that. "You'll survive…"

"I'm not so sure…"

"Stop acting like a kid. Besides, you're going abroad, it'll be a good experience-"

"I could go to America anytime I wanted." He pouted. "It's going to be torture without you."

"It's not going to be forever! Sheesh!" At that she saved her work. Her concentration had been dashed entirely, and there was no way she'd make any progress with so much on her mind.

"Whenever we're apart, it feels like forever."

"Stop saying such cheesy things." She said, rolling her eyes. She checked her message then, and read about the plan unfolding before her.

'Misaki, I've opted to send my brother out of the country for a while so he won't know what we're up to. There just happened to be a literary event in America, so I contacted the company and opted to send him there. It's a little longer than a week, but I won't keep you longer than that. The panel you're in won't last long either, it's only a few days. You can stay at my place during that time if you want. Don't worry, this will help your career and won't take much of your time. If you want to opt out, just let me know. Akihiko should already expect you to stay home. Are these acceptable terms?'

She raised an eyebrow. How did he manage to make all of this happen? Either way, she figured she could go along with it. It would only be a week. So she sent back a text that just said, 'these are acceptable terms.' Usagi then eyed her with intrigue. "Are you getting similar instructions?"

"Yeah, Akira just let me know what's going on." She tried to sound tired, but actually she was feeling a little excited for some reason. She stood up and stretched, and quickly hid her phone so Usagi couldn't see the message.

Usagi seemed slightly annoyed upon hearing about the mysterious Akira again. "I want to meet this Akira, and let him know how I feel about people touching my things…"

Misaki rolled her eyes. "I'm not your property and it's not like that between us. He's just some guy from work who keeps me on task."

"Is that so?" He said, still suspicious.

"Should I be suspicious of you and Aikawa?"

"… It's not the same thing."

"How is it not the same thing?" She said with only slight indignation. "Well what if I started getting jealous every time I saw you together?"

At that, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I would love it if you got jealous over me."

She growled, but didn't try to throw him off this time. "I think you'd change your mind if I acted like you."

"Try it, I bet I'll never get bored of your jealousy."

Knowing him, he was telling the truth. Misaki said nothing and just let him cuddle her. Eventually he let her go and moved back to the couch. Apparently he was too agitated to feel amorous, Misaki wasn't too broken up about it.

She stood then, and made her way to the kitchen. "How about I make us some lunch?"

"Yeah, okay." He replied, though still visibly annoyed.

While she cooked, she couldn't help but feel guilty about putting her lover though something he hated so that she could cover up an affair she had with his brother. Though, once this was over she could move on and he'd never have to know.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I'm a little late getting this out today, I've been sick.

* * *

Misaki stayed diligent in getting Usagi prepared for his international trip. It was an ordeal as usual, since Usagi had to be treated like a kid during every step of the way. She was the one who ended up packing his suitcase and making sure everything was accounted for. She was the one who pushed him to the airport, and she was there to make sure he didn't try to run. By the time he was actually en route, Misaki was totally exhausted. Luckily, she had driven him there in her car, so she didn't have to hang around the airport for long.

A few hours later, she got a text from Haruhiko saying that he'd pick her up at her house, mainly because they wouldn't have to be covert about their meetings. Misaki agreed, and then was picked up not long after.

As they drove, the author decided to prod a little on the specifics of what Haruhiko planned. "So, I have to ask, what do you have planned for this week?"

"Not too much." He said as he drove. "I just thought we could- act natural maybe? In a casual way."

"Well, if you say so." She said.

"If you need anything, just ask."

"I have my laptop, I think I'll be fine all week."

"…Hmm."

The conversation ceased then, and the car went quiet. Honestly Misaki didn't know what to say in a situation like this, and elected to let the silence hang between them. It wasn't so bad, Haruhiko didn't feel the need to fill up every silent second, which took some stress off of her.

Eventually they arrived at a small cabin-like house, very different from the Usami mansion Misaki was expecting. She could only wonder what his intentions were for bringing her here.

"We're not going to your place?"

"We could if you wanted to." He said, but continued, "I just thought this would provide a calmer atmosphere for you."

She pouted a little. He was on top of his game as usual, and Misaki couldn't help but feel like he was doing all this on purpose, maybe to lure her into a false sense of security. Well, that wasn't going to work and she was going to hold firm. No way would she give into his advances, it couldn't happen. Still, she did appreciate being in a cozy place rather than his extravagant mansion.

They exited the car and entered the house. Inside had a warm colour scheme and a really lived in feel to it, despite it being the first time people were in it. Haruhiko looked around, giving a nod of satisfaction after a while. "Pick any room you want." He said plainly.

"Okay." At that, she started to explore the house. While it was smaller than what she was used to, it was still fairly large. There were four bedrooms, each uniquely furnished to set a different mood. Misaki ended up taking a room at the end of the hall that gave off a sort of mysterious feel. She thought it would provide the best inspiration for her book. Haruhiko took a room closer to the common room.

They both started unpacking and setting up their rooms for the next week. Misaki had travelled lightly so that setting up wouldn't take long. Haruhiko appeared to do the same and they both quickly met up in the common room.

"So, what now?" Misaki said lamely.

"I could get us some lunch…"

"Wait right there, I'll do it." She said. At that, she looked into the fridge, only to note that it was completely empty. "Huh, I guess you didn't think this one through." With a sigh she continued, "we should go shopping."

"…Shopping, together?"

She rolled her eyes at his insistence. "We've only got your car, do you expect me walk all the way to town and then carry it all the way back?"

He adjusted his glasses with a look on his face that said 'good point.' "Alright, let's go."

Upon reaching the market, Misaki seemed to perk up a little. Looking around at the ingredients available to her, she began thinking about what kinds of things to make for their meals today.

"Feel free to get whatever you want." Haruhiko said after a while of watching her size up ingredients.

"I already planned to do that. I'm just selecting the best."

"I see."

"Do you notice how these vegetables are softer than these? You should avoid those, get the nice firm ones."

"… I know."

"Oh, okay then." She had to remember that Haruhiko had more life experience than his younger brother. It was likely that he was already knew most of the obvious things she'd have to explain to her lover. "I don't feel like making something elaborate, do you mind?"

"… Not at all."

"Good." A sigh escaped her. It was nice to know she wouldn't have to be working hard while on this excursion. After she made her selection, Haruhiko picked up a few things and they left.

Misaki made lunch for the both of them, a simple stir fry. Haruhiko thanked her in his usual stoic manner and they both went about their own business for a while. Misaki took out her laptop and got to work on her latest novel, somehow inspired by her current situation.

Come supper time, Haruhiko got up and made his way into the kitchen. Misaki watched with an almost panicked expression. "What are you doing?"

"…Making us supper."

"Are you sure? Shouldn't I do that?"

"…You made us lunch, it's only fair that I make us supper." He said simply.

She sat back down then, showing her nervousness on her face. Whenever Usagi cooked for her, she knew it would turn into a disaster. As of now she didn't know how well Haruhiko could handle himself in the kitchen, but if he was anything like his brother, this meal wouldn't turn out well.

Time passed slowly, Misaki couldn't help but look over her shoulder just to make sure Haruhiko wasn't in the process of burning the house down. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him working away without much concern. Her pulse raced, possibly from worry. So far he hadn't given her any reason to doubt him, but it was just so ingrained in her subconscious that she went into a near panic whenever there was a man in the kitchen. Occasionally he'd look in her direction, and raise an eyebrow at her nervousness. "I'm not going to poison you." He said eventually, wondering what all the suspicious looks were about.

She scoffed at that comment. "Who said you were going to poison me?" At such odd denial, she wondered then if he was trying something like that. Why else would he bring it up?

"It's just, you're looking at me so suspiciously, I just wanted you to know that I'm not doing anything weird."

"Sure." Misaki said, turning her suspicious gaze back to her laptop. Her fingers typed furiously as she tried to take her mind off of Haruhiko and his highly suspect cooking. Luckily for her, the ideas were flowing, and being in this situation gave her an unexpected boost in inspiration.

Haruhiko joined her in the common room shortly after, with a rather tasty looking mishmash of things. "Here." He said, handing over a plate.

Misaki closed up her laptop and took the plate. Her line of vision travelled to the kitchen, which appeared to be in pristine condition. She looked back at Haruhiko, her expression one of confusion.

He only sighed. "I'm guessing those looks are because you expected me to be incompetent like my brother. I can assure you, I'm not pathetic like him."

"Hmm." Misaki said. On one hand, she was a little offended at the obvious jab at her boyfriend, but she also couldn't deny that Haruhiko's words held some truth to them. So she decided not to push the issue and just took a bite of what she was presented. "Oh, wow."

"Is it to your liking?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Silence fell between them again, mainly because Misaki was too busy eating to say anything. Her mind wandered for a second. She thought about what it would be like to have a partner who could actually help with the housework, instead of leaving her to do it. Such an arrangement wouldn't be so bad, but definitely not worth leaving Usagi for.

"If you have any suggestions for tomorrow, you can let me know." He said in a muted tone, almost shyly.

"Really?" It may have been a small gesture, but she ended up flattered nonetheless.

"Yeah."

"Okay then, I'll let you know." She could feel herself blush ever so slightly at his offer. "But um, I'm going to be busy for the rest of the night. I think after five or so chapters I can take a break."

"Very well." He said, taking his meal into his room to give her peace and quiet.

Honestly she didn't know if this was a good thing or not, but the contrast to how Usagi would have acted kind of confused her. Being left alone like that, she might actually get some work done, and she was grateful for that.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I uploaded today, but after this it will go back to the regular Friday schedule (Unless I get instruction to post more).

* * *

In the morning, Misaki woke to a vacant bed, though not entirely broken up about it. She stayed in bed for a short while before stretching and getting ready for the day. Haruhiko was already up and dressed by the time she met him in the common room. She gave him a nod and started setting up her laptop.

"…Morning." He said simply.

"Good morning." She said, looking up to see what he was doing. "Are you making breakfast?"

"I was just making the preparations. Do you have any requests?"

"Er." She hesitated, feeling strange. Whenever Usagi offered to make her anything, she always had to stop him before things got out of hand. With Haruhiko though, she felt like she could trust him to perform general, everyday tasks without causing a commotion. "I'll just have what you're having." She said finally.

He said nothing and just continued doing what he was doing. While he was setting up to cook, Misaki checked her phone. To no one's surprise, it was filled with a novel's worth of text messages from Usagi. The author couldn't help but chuckle at his child like attachment to her, and so she scrolled through a few of them. Starting out he complained about the travel arrangements, and people asking him things, and annoying protocol he had to adhere to. Though, it quickly devolved into a whiny rant about how lonely he was and how much he wished Misaki was with him. She just rolled her eyes with a smile on her face as she sent him a quick message saying that she was waiting for him, and to do his best at the convention. Haruhiko noticed her demeanor but didn't say anything.

After her texts were sent, she got to work typing up her story. The ideas weren't flowing as freely as they were in previous days and she wondered if she had yet again hit a wall.

"How are you faring?" He said simply.

"I think I'm doing good, but I'm kind of stuck here. I'm wondering what should happen when Margaret's lover finds her captor, and if there should be a showdown or not."

"I see." He had been familiar with her writing, if only so he could get to know her better, and understood exactly what she was talking about. "Do you mind if I read what you have so far?"

Misaki blushed, unsure of how to answer. While she would be flattered if one of her fans showed interested in her work, this was Haruhiko. She still couldn't imagine someone denouncing her lover's work while simultaneously finding hers laudable. But since they were there together, she'd allow it. "Well, okay. When you're done with breakfast I'll let you see what I have."

He nodded, then continued what he was doing. All the while Misaki couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, both nervousness and excitement.

Silence hung between them while he cooked, he didn't bother to look up from what he was doing after that. Instead of worrying about him, Misaki instead read over what she had already written, just to make sure it was as perfect as it could be. For some reason she wanted to make sure her writing was pristine so that Haruhiko would appreciate it.

She got so caught up in what she was doing that she hardly noticed Haruhiko coming toward her with breakfast in hand. He placed the plate down before her, and the gentle clang caused her to jolt up. Haruhiko raised an eyebrow at such an extreme reaction, and a smile threatened to form on his face for the briefest of moments. "Breakfast is ready."

"Yeah, I can see that." She said with a huff, feeling embarrassed. She nibbled here and there, lost in thought. Though, if nothing else, she was pleased at not having to cook, so there was that.

Haruhiko was nearby, eating equally silently, occasionally glancing over toward her. He couldn't help but feel a tiny pang of delight at how cute she looked lost in thought like that. So he finished up and gestured to her laptop. "May I see what you've written?"

She jolted up. "Oh, uh, sure." She slid her computer over to him then, now looking tense and worried. Haruhiko could only raise an eyebrow and wondered why she was suddenly so nervous. While he read, she finished up her breakfast and gathered the dishes. To keep herself busy, she washed them while keeping her attention away from her current reader.

Eventually she joined him back in the common room, It looked like he was about to finish up. He ended up sighing, feeling despondent again. "I see, so it's like this." He looked at her, almost critically, and continued. "So one of the girls is kidnapped by a jealous ex-lover. Is this a portrayal of what you're thinking now?"

"Er, not really. I sort of got inspired by this though, but I don't think of you as a crazy kidnapper, not really…"

"…Is that so?" His tone was highly ambiguous, Misaki couldn't tell if he was pleased with that information or not. At that he went back to reading, Misaki's pulse pounded as she waited for him to reach a verdict.

He placed the laptop down then, and adjusted his glasses contemplatively. "It's good, so far." He paused then, as if trying to pick his words carefully. "I can see why you're stuck though. It's going to be hard for Forte to find Margaret based on what you have so far."

"I know right? But I'm not going to give up, as soon as I think of something I'm going to write an awesome showdown."

"Well it's good that you have an ending planned and all, but you're still going to need events leading up to that." He turned away, contemplating on how he could help Misaki out of her writer's block.

"Yeah, I know, I'm thinking, maybe the kidnapper leaves her cell phone unattended and maybe then-"

"That seems a little too convenient don't you think?"

"Uh, er, yeah, I guess that's true." She pouted slightly. "Well then, what if Margaret had a secret tracking device on her that alerted Forte to where she is-"

"If that's the case, why didn't she just use that in the first place?"

Misaki growled, but conceded. "Yeah well, I'm still working on it. I don't know how it's going to pan out, but I do know that this mystery will have a happy ending. I'd be too depressed if they were broken up by something like this."

"…Maybe doing the opposite of what your readers expect is just the thing you need."

"Huh?"

"I bet if you defied their expectations, you'd garner a passionate response."

She continued pouting. "What about my fanbase who read for the romance, I doubt they'd be pleased if the main couple was just, broken up."

"Or it might raise the stakes, from now on your readers will always be on the edge of their seats as they wonder who will survive…"

She closed her laptop in frustration. "I'm not doing that!"

"…Fine, fine." He said with a sigh. "When you come up with an idea, I'll be happy to review it with you."

Her expression remained slightly bitter. "Okay." At that he slid the laptop back to her. She began re-reading what she wrote. No way would she take that suggestion seriously, she wasn't about to write an ending where the main couple was split for any reason. Sure she had written tragic endings to her novels before, but she wasn't about to write a tragic ending that would permeate the rest of the series. Unless this was the novel was the final one in this particular series. That idea made her pause, and she wondered if this would be the proper way to end her fairly long running story. It wasn't too bad an idea, but she was still hesitant

"Hey Haruhiko…"

"…Hmm?"

"Thanks for the idea…"

"I thought you said you weren't going to use it though."

"Well, I thought about it, and I think this might be where I end my series. I kind of want to go on to other things you know? Not only be known for one thing…"

"That sounds pretty risky, are you sure you want to do something like that?"

"You were the one who said I should surprise my fans!" She said, suddenly feeling indignant. "…But anyway, yeah, I think I'm ready to try something new. When I finish this novel, do you mind if I run some of my new ideas by you?" She blushed at asking such a personal question. Trying to get literary advice out of Usagi was usually pointless, either because he was too critical or just disinterested, but she wondered if Haruhiko could steer her in the right direction.

"I will, when you're ready."

"Oh, thank you." She cleared her throat then, and tried to suppress her embarrassment from the conversation they just had, "and by the way, I'll cook us lunch…"

"Sounds good to me, I'll wash the dishes when you're done."

"…Okay." She replied simply. They went back to sitting silently. Misaki began typing up the final act of her novels, feeling both anxious and excited.


	12. Chapter 12

Somehow she managed to get through three more chapters. Now that she was a little less hindered by having a set ending, she found that the ideas came much easier. Sure it was taking a grim turn, but oddly enough that only made her more excited to write. This new path she was taking in her writing gave her all sorts of ideas for new novels, but she had to remember to pace herself and not get too ambitious in writing so much. Focus on finishing up the one in front of her before running wild with new ideas, she thought.

All the while Haruhiko was silently completing the menial chores. Occasionally she'd glance his way, and he'd glance her way, and they'd both avert their gaze. The space between them was starting to get a little awkward, and so Misaki decided to close up for the time being. "So, um, I'm done writing for now..."

"Taking a break?"

"Yeah, so-" She cleared her throat nervously, unsure of how to approach the topic. "I kind of want to take a break outside, you know, get some fresh air and whatnot-"

"Is that so?" Haruhiko said, completely flat and devoid of expectation.

She blushed a little thinking of what she was about to ask. "Well, do you want to walk with me or what?"

His attention was caught at that instant. The expression on his face was one of genuine surprise. "I could come along."

"Oh, good." She said, though trying to appear too happy about it. She didn't plan on staying out too long, but it would be nice to have him there. He'd be good not only for company, but also in the case of an animal attack. It was a selfish though, sure, but he wouldn't have to know that. Knowing him, he'd probably jump out in front of any wild animal that would dare threaten Misaki anyway.

They started their walk, with the weather being decent enough for it. Misaki stayed silent for a while and assessed Haruhiko's movements. He wasn't making any strange movements or attempting to hug her, or hold her hand, so she loosened up a little and attempted to strike up a conversation.

"So, I've read up on the panel you've gotten me into. I'm excited."

He adjusted his glasses, looking neutral. "It will help you increase your credibility, and you get to mentor a new signed author."

"I know, I'm actually looking forward to it." While she knew he only did that to give her an excuse to stay home while her boyfriend was away, this was still a decent opportunity to get the word of her novels out to the public. Not to mention it would add to the credibility of her work. She wasn't exactly sure how Haruhiko was able to get her in, but she was grateful for what he did for her, even if it came from a selfish place.

"I am glad I was able to help you out."

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"…"

There was silence then. Haruhiko really didn't seem to be much of a talker, and Misaki wasn't exactly thrilled about that. She cleared her throat, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"If you want to opt out, I can make that happen…"

"Why would I want to do that?! I just said this was a great opportunity."

"If it becomes too stressful for you, I can have it cancelled."

She scoffed at that. "We'll see when it happens. But I'm sure I can handle it."

"Is that so." He nodded then, ever so slightly. "I will believe in you."

She pouted a little at the thought of not being taken seriously. Usagi often didn't take her seriously either, so she thought she should have been used to being dismissed by now. Still, she wasn't a child, and she was sick of being looked down on by men who claimed to love her. "Well, thanks for putting in the effort to believe in me anyway…"

Their chatter didn't go much further than that. Haruhiko was his usual silent self, and so it was difficult to keep a conversation going. Still, Misaki was pleased to be outside, getting some fresh air.

They returned, feeling invigorated. Even Haruhiko appeared to have an extra bout of peppiness in his movements and tone of voice. Misaki stretched out and fell back on the couch near her laptop, trying to find the motivation to keep working. Even if she was in a good mood, she still didn't feel like writing anymore. "I guess I should get to work on supper."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I can take care of it." He said simply.

"It's okay, you've done enough today already. I can handle it." She said.

"Well, alright."

At that she made a simple stir fry, since Haruhiko didn't appear to be picky. Usagi wasn't either for that matter, so she was pleased that she wouldn't have to try too hard.

Once she was done, she gave Haruhiko a plate and took a seat near him, starting up her laptop again. Though, she didn't have much inspiration to type. The day had gone relatively well, and she wasn't really feeling the whole dangerous ex-lover scenario. Impatiently she tapped her fingers on the keys, trying to come up with something.

"Are you having writer's block again?" He asked casually.

"Not really. I know what should happen, I'm just not too inspired to write it."

"I see."

She continued looking perplexed, but the lack of motivation showed easily in her eyes. Haruhiko decided now would be a good time to make a move.

He sidled over to her, and sat next to her in close proximity. At first she tried to ignore him, and thought he might just be hanging around. Suddenly an arm fell across her shoulders, and instantly she tensed up. A surge of suspense ran through her and she tried to move away.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked as he analysed her reaction. It wasn't what he expected.

"…No, you're acting weird."

"…Am I?"

"Yeah, give me some space!" At that she shoved him back and scurried to the other side of the couch. Sure she knew he'd likely be making moves on her, but she didn't expect it so soon, or so blatantly. Quickly she focussed on him again, but he didn't appear to be moving closer to her. After a while she sighed. "Just, why did you do that?"

Instead of answering blatantly, by saying that the last time he had done such a thing she seemed highly responsive to it, he just said, "I thought that was a good way to show affection." He had remembered the last time they had been alone, and Misaki appeared to reciprocate his feelings. Somehow he had initiated intimacy by simply putting an arm around her. Apparently there must have been more to it, since doing the same thing now wasn't generating the reaction he was looking for. He'd even settle for return hug, or something, but apparently that wasn't going to happen.

"We're not lovers though!" She huffed, but was oddly flattered for some reason.

"I know." He said simply, his expression unwavering. "That doesn't mean I can show you affection, does it?"

She went quiet then, as she couldn't think of anything to counter his point. "Well, keep your affections non-physical, okay? It's just weird when you get so close like that…"

"…Sorry."

It was hard to know how to react. On one hand she kind of wanted to give him affection, if only a little, but also judging from the situation, doing so would only lead him on. She couldn't bring herself to hate him, she couldn't even bring herself to dislike him, but she knew that she couldn't lead him on and give him the false hope of entering a romantic relationship with her. Though, if he was anything like his brother, she knew it would be hard for her to shake him off. She was left feeling conflicted. "It's okay, just, try not to do it again okay?"

"If you really don't like it, I'll stop." He said in defeat.

"Thank you."

The room went quiet again, Misaki looked away and felt her face heat up. Haruhiko appeared to be his usual unflinching self, so Misaki attempted to take out her frustration out in her writing. Eventually Haruhiko just put his empty plate in the sink and sighed as he made his way back to his room. Misaki was left in the common room alone.

After a while, she sighed. With Haruhiko gone, presumably for the night, the silence made it easy to concentrate, and that little bit of awkwardness was just the push she needed to up the suspense in the current scene she was writing. Though, even if she was on a roll now, she wouldn't let Haruhiko read that particular part, it would only make him feel bad.


	13. Chapter 13

Misaki woke early, realising that she had fallen asleep on the couch. Sure she had worked long into the night, and she couldn't remember falling asleep, but yet here she was with her laptop nearby also in sleep mode. A blanket had somehow made its way on top of her, she didn't have to speculate long on how that happened.

She stretched. Later today she'd be advancing her career, so she decided to start getting ready early. So far she didn't know if this was going to be televised or not, or if she'd end up with her picture in something, so she wanted to look her best. Not to mention, she'd be speaking in front of a crowd, she definitely didn't want to make a bad impression. Now that she thought about it though, she wondered if he saw her latest chapter when he was covering her up. No doubt it would have made him feel bad, hopefully he either didn't pay attention to what she had written, or didn't take it personally.

Haruhiko wasn't up yet, or at the very least, he wasn't out of his room yet. That was fine, it was still early and he didn't need to be alerted to her morning rituals. He would just be her ride later on, and she was fairly certain he'd be awake and ready by then.

So she started by choosing her best outfit and then invading the bathroom to fix her hair and make-up. She'd put a little more effort into it today because she'd be in the public eye. Once she was pleased with her appearance, she exited and debated whether or not she should make breakfast. It wasn't like she was being lazy, she just didn't want to get something on her clothes. Eventually she settled on making something light for the both of them.

About halfway through, Haruhiko left his room and joined her in the kitchen. He immediately got to work making tea in relative silence, only glancing over to Misaki every so often. She didn't bother to address him, she only watched him with mild intrigue.

"Good morning." He said simply. "I see you've gotten ready."

She couldn't help but blush slightly, and wondered what he thought of how she looked in formal attire. "What do you think? Do you think I'll make a good impression?"

"I believe the quality of your work will be the deciding factor as to whether or not you make a good impression." He said simply.

She folded her arms in dismay. While it wasn't exactly the answer she wanted, she'd take it as a compliment anyway. "Yeah well, I guess that's true. But you did pull some strings and get me involved with this whole thing didn't you?"

He adjusted his glasses with a sort of dismissive look about him. "It wasn't like I bribed anyone. I think your work could sell itself better if you bothered to put yourself out there more."

At that she pouted. While Usagi rarely if ever tormented her about work, she could tell that Haruhiko would be much more diligent. Actually, now that she thought about it, Usagi never really was one to support her work. More or less he wanted her to be a housewife/maid full time. He never showed any open hostility toward her work, but she could recall many times where he had been less than supportive with her work related ventures. Perhaps she would have taken work a little more seriously if she had a partner who didn't always try to talk her out of furthering her career. "Yeah well, I'm not exactly in a position where I need to claw at promotions and the like. You of all people should know that money isn't an issue."

"It's not really about the money, it's about putting in the effort and reaching your potential." He said dismissively. "You shouldn't be satisfied with mediocrity."

What he was saying was true, and yet she didn't know if she was ready to give it her all. She liked things the way they were now, simple and not too stressful. "Well, whatever works I suppose. What I've been doing works for me, it works for my situation, I don't think I need to change it."

"Hmm." He said, now looking analytical. "Is the current situation really what you want, or is it what he wants?"

Her expression instantly became agitated. Sure what he was saying was partially true, but that wasn't his business anyway. She pouted and turned away, not wanting to take part in this conversation anymore. "I'll do what I want." She said decisively.

He stayed silent after that. Once the tea was ready, he poured it for himself and Misaki and took a seat at the table. Misaki finished making breakfast shortly after and plated it for the both of them, joining Haruhiko. Both of them remained silent.

While in her slightly bad mood, her mind wandered back to if Haruhiko took offense to her latest chapter. It felt a little awkward between them now, so it probably wasn't the best time to ask, but she decided to do it anyway. "So, um, last night, did you manage to see my latest few chapters?"

"No." He replied plainly. "You didn't give me permission to review your latest chapters, and when you fell asleep last night your laptop had already gone into sleep mode anyway."

"Oh." Honestly she couldn't tell if she was relieved or disappointed about that. "Uhm, I suppose I could let you review it after I get back from work today."

He offered her a nod, but didn't respond more than that.

"So, um, are you going to drive me there, or am I going myself?"

"I will bring you." He turned away then, with a look of mild intrigue about him, "And I assumed that I would stay there and watch you from the audience."

She blushed again. It was hard to tell if he was there to give support, or find her faults. Him being there might add an extra layer of stress to her already stressful day. She wouldn't let it get to her though, she was strong enough to take criticism! "Just do whatever you want."

"Hmm." He said. It became quiet again, but neither of them decided to strike up another conversation after that. Misaki had become noticeably more tense and nervous, and Haruhiko didn't want to aggravate that anxiety.

It wasn't long until they finished up, and Haruhiko elected to wash the dishes. Misaki had put so much effort into looking good that she really didn't want to deal with dishwater and the like. He didn't mind, he was rather happy to divide the labour like they'd been doing.

"When you're ready, I'll drive you there." He said simply. Time was running out and the event was getting closer.

"Uhm, I'm ready whenever you are." It was easy to see that Misaki was getting more nervous by the minute. "I guess when you're done with dishes, we'll go."

"I'm done now, so I suppose we could go now."

"Oh." She seemed on edge. Sure she knew that he'd have show up eventually, but she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't want to put it off. It was inevitable, so she might as well get it over with. "Alright, let's get going then."

Haruhiko said nothing and just made his way to the car. Misaki followed equally silently, but her eyes shifted all around nervously. Even during the car ride to the venue where the event was taking place, she was constantly jolting around, or staring intensely at something, or jittering. It was cute, in a way, but Haruhiko did his best to keep her tension down by saying some words of encouragement here and there. It didn't help much, but she appreciated the effort.

They arrived, most of the featured authors and coordinators had already arrived. They greeted Misaki and welcomed her in, and let Haruhiko go in after her. While he wasn't making an appearance, he was allowed to move around unhindered until the event started. He saw this as a good thing, since Misaki was visibly nervous and bordering on an emotional wreck. Since he couldn't have her choking up, he made it his job to comfort her and calm her down.

Just before she was about to join everyone on stage, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact caused her to jolt up, but she calmed down a little once she noticed it was just Haruhiko. "Hey, relax. Just take a deep breath and do your best. You'll be fine, you'll do well."

Such a simple gesture had a profound effect on Misaki. Her heart fluttered and her cheeks burned, but she resolved to give it her best shot. "I will!" She said decisively, then joined the rest of the panel on stage.

Haruhiko just slinked into the crowd and took a seat. Although his face didn't show it, he was quite pleased and silently cheering Misaki on.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Lemon break, sort of.

* * *

Time passed so slowly when he was alone. With all of his work done for the day, Usagi was more or less wasting time in his hotel room. It was the evening, and he was bored out of his mind. It made him wonder how he ever managed to live without Misaki in the past. He was lonely and bored and annoyed, and obviously sexually frustrated beyond his tolerance. Sure it had only been a few days, but it felt like forever since he'd last held his lover. The last few texts he had sent had essentially been 'what are you wearing?' and 'send me a pic' and various other whining pleas for her to send him some kind of visual representation of herself. Since he wasn't paying attention to the time difference between the two countries, he didn't know what time it was back in Japan. The thought crossed his mind that Misaki might be asleep, or busy, or otherwise occupied and thus ignoring him.

Usagi sighed, the loneliness was crushing him, and the fact that he had sent about a thousand texts at least with no response made him wonder what Misaki was doing. He was hoping to get a sexy picture of her, but deep down he knew his tsundere girlfriend wouldn't be so obliging. With nothing of interest to occupy his thoughts, and his hormones running wild, he began fantasizing.

 _He was at home, and then right on cue his adorable lover came home from whatever she was doing at work all day, looking adorably cranky. Since this was his fantasy, she wasn't looking that way because she was tired, or stressed out, no, she was just frustrated that someone else had the gall to try romancing her._

 _"Welcome home my love. How was your day?"_

 _"Oh, you wouldn't believe it, that jerk Akira started telling me how pretty I was and how much he wanted to take me on a date. But I told that loser that I already have a stunning, hunky, super smart and super interesting sexy boyfriend, and I kicked him in the ass and told him that he could never have me because you're just the perfect lover."_

 _"That's good, I already know everyone wants to steal you from me, so I'm glad you'd never think of even entertaining them."_

 _"How could I ever think of being with anyone but you?" At that, Misaki moved closer with seductive look about her. "When you're so generous and affectionate and good in bed? No one could ever satisfy me like you can."_

 _"That is true. I am all of those things."_

 _"Speaking of being good in bed, I was thinking about you all day, and I want so you badly." She swayed her hips seductively, and the look on her face was sultry and inviting._

 _"Oh, is that so?" He approached and pulled her into a hug then, which somehow turned into him carrying her up to their room. The eager Usagi tossed her onto the bed and was quick to join her. Immediately their lips met, and Misaki wound her arms around his neck._

 _Misaki's lips opened as a lusty sigh escaped her. Usagi stealthily slipped his tongue in, and his eager lover met him with her own. Their making out session ended quickly, and Usagi imagined her stripping out of her work clothes. She stretched out in only her bra and panties with a seductive look about her._

 _She opened her legs, showing off her soft pink silk panties. Usagi approached and stared her down with a hungry look in his eyes. "You look delicious."_

 _"I bet I taste delicious too." She said, placing a finger in her mouth with a coy look about her. "Why don't you see for yourself?"_

 _He leaned in then, and brushed his tongue against her clothed slit. She shuddered and purred. "Mmm, that's good." At that, he wound his tongue around the rim of her panties and then hauled them off with his teeth. Misaki giggled in response and playfully closed her legs. "So naughty! Hehehe, I'm getting all shy…"_

 _Usagi just smirked and ran a hand mischievously over her thighs. She took action to remove her own bra while he explored her body. "Hey now, I want to see your body too." She said with a playful timbre. "No more touching for you until I see your skin." At that, she pulled back, and sat up with her knees closed._

 _"Alright, you win." He said with a chuckle. "You want to watch me, right?"_

 _"Of course, show me your sexy body." She licked her lips then, her eyes half lidded._

 _Usagi stripped off then, quickly because this was his fantasy, and Misaki laid out again with her legs only partially spread. "You're always so sexy, you make me wet."_

 _"I'm glad you're so into it today." He said while licking his lips._

 _"What are you talking about? I'm always turned on when I'm around you."_

 _"Hmm, that makes me happy." He trailed kisses along her thighs, and then gingerly nuzzled her opening. His lips pressed on and his tongue slipped in._

 _"Ooh, yes!"_

 _His lips pressed firmly against her opening while his tongue explored. Wet suckling sounds permeated the quiet room while Misaki moaned and purred softly. "Mmm, hah…"_

 _Usagi mumbled a little against her, that slight vibration caused her to openly moan. His tongue swirled and he sucked gently. "Ah! Yes!" One of her legs wrapped around his shoulders in an attempt to pull him in further. She wanted him deeper, and she wanted it now._

 _"Please, I want your cock."_

 _He pulled his face back then, licking his lips. "You're awfully eager today Misaki."_

 _"You just turned me on so much that I can't hold back. Please."_

 _With a grin, he gave a nod. "On your knees."_

 _She moved onto her knees without saying a thing. In position, she looked back at him with longing eyes. She raised her hips to invite him in. "I'm ready."_

 _He moved close and rubbed himself against her. His dick slapped against her ass playfully, but the eager Misaki was far beyond the playful stage. "Please, put it in." Her hips swayed, and she spread her legs further apart. Juices already soaked her thighs, made all the more apparent by the gentle rocking of her hips._

 _"As you wish." Both of his hands cupped her ass and spread her slightly as he positioned himself with the tip of his head pressing against her entrance. His swollen cock pressed inside her then. They both sighed as he forced himself all the way inside._

 _"Oh, it's in so deep. Ung, yes."_

 _"You like that?"_

 _"Yes, it's wonderful. Give me more, mmm, ah." Misaki moaned with her eyes closed. A small trail of saliva ran down her chin as her body became enthralled with pleasure. "Oh, Oooh!"_

 _"You're so tight Misaki."_

 _"Nnng."_

 _He shifted his hips back, leaving only the tip inside her before plunging back in. "Hah." It took every ounce of willpower to not pound his lover senseless right there and then._

 _"Please- move more."_

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _"Wreck me, I don't care, I just want you-"_

 _"Misaki-" His resolve evaporated then, and he let his primal desires take control. With no more inhibitions, he pounded her repeatedly without pause._

 _"Yes, yes! Faster!"_

 _Usagi ran a hand along her belly and then grabbed both of her breasts. Her nipples were pinched, and the overwhelming sensations caused tears to form in her eyes. Both moaned together among the sound of slapping skin. Misaki bit her lip, but quickly opened her mouth again to moan and purr at every movement._

 _"Be rough, I like it!" She cried._

 _"Misaki-"_

 _"Oooh, yes! Harder, deeper, give me more!"_

 _Suddenly she was flipped on her side, Usagi grabbed her leg and forced himself in deeper with every thrust. "Yes! Unh, Ah!"_

 _"Misaki."_

 _"Ah, Usagi, Usagi!"_

 _"I can't- I'm going to-" She heaved, breasts bouncing with every thrust. She grit her teeth and clamped her eyes shut. Her back arched and her voice rang out. Usagi groaned as his essence was milked from him, feeling himself go flaccid as he poured inside his lover._

 _Her now limp body twitched a few times before falling back onto the bed. Usagi pulled out and snuggled into her and they relaxed, enveloped by their shared euphoria._

 _"I love you Usagi. You're the best."_

 _"I love you too Misaki."_

At that his fantasy ended, and he was left feeling satisfied. The real thing would have been better no doubt, and he was still lonely and longing for his lover, but at least he was satisfied. Maybe when he returned home, he'd pick her up and bring her right to their bedroom. Maybe he'd tell her all about his fantasy, in which she was always receptive to his fantasies. He sent Misaki a few more texts, though he had yet to get a reply. Not long after he fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: To the guest who suggested the nightmare scenario, that will happen later on! The requester has taken favour with your idea, so hopefully look forward to it! To the other guest, I haven't seen that show, but I could give it a watch eventually. Though, the requester didn't seem into your idea, and the requester ultimately decides what goes into this fic. To the other other guest who says I should write better lemons, I will do my best good perverted sir or madam! No guarantees though.

* * *

Misaki made her way to the front, where the other panelists were. Because she was so nervous, she kept her head down and looked diligently for her designated seat, and then seated herself in the least clumsy way possible.

Her laser-like focus made her oblivious to the others present. It only occurred to her to look up once the event began, and a voice came on the speakers to signify the start of the introductions. It was only now that Misaki realised that the event wasn't as big as she expected, just a humble looking crowd. Perhaps she could relax a little knowing there weren't too many eyes on her.

Eventually the director got around to introducing everyone, and Misaki tried her hardest to pay attention to everyone there. She even recognised some of the names, but didn't let her focus waver. Instead, she just listened for her name, ready with a decent introduction for herself when the time came.

"Hello! My name is Takahashi Misaki, I'm very pleased to be here!"

"Ms. Takahashi is currently in the process of concluding her long running series, do you have plans to start a new series, or are you going to release some standalone novels?"

"Um, well, I have a few ideas in mind, but I'm waiting to see the reception to the end of my series before I decide what direction my writing will take next!" She was still unsure, but she wanted to appear confident and tactical. True, she had no idea what she'd be doing after she ended the only noteworthy series to her name, but she didn't want the masses to know that. No, now was the time to appear professional and make people take her seriously.

"We'll look forward to it." The director said, and she gave a modest bow and sat back down. That was a decent introduction to the event, she thought. At least now she was feeling more relaxed, if things persisted like this, she could get through it.

The second set of questions was more or less general inquiries about each of the authors' works. They were asked about why they had chosen the genres they wrote and what their inspirations were. Misaki didn't have to rehearse this part, she could talk at length about her love for suspense, and was becoming increasingly comfortable with the romance genre too.

The third set of questions all related to a discussion of literary style. It was particularly interesting to hear the mangaka on the panel discussing the conventions they used. This was harder for her, but she did use all of the knowledge she gained from her university years and tried to sound as intelligent as she could.

Tomorrow she'd be able to meet the new recruits. That excited her, as she'd get to have input on someone else's work instead of always being the one who was critiqued. The day after that would be easy, most just some concluding questions for everyone involved. It definitely wasn't so bad. She wasn't yet a natural faker like her boyfriend was, but if she kept making public appearances like this, she was certain she could learn how to work a crowd just like he did.

At the end, she sighed. Her nerves were still riled up, but at least she was starting to calm down. That went well, she thought, and at least she made a good impression. A hand suddenly fell on her shoulder and she nearly leapt out of her skin. A startled yelp escaped her, and suddenly she was feeling all of the embarrassment she tried to avoid.

"Well done Misaki, I was hanging on every word!" An enthusiastic Ijuuin said. "I can't believe you're ending your series! I'm both sad to see it go, and excited to see the end!"

"Ijuuin-san, um, thank you." Her cheeks heated up quickly, but she tried to hide it by covering her face with the scarf she was wearing.

"Oh yeah, I also heard that your boyfriend made a trek to America. Have you been in touch?" He didn't even bother to hide his intentions. Misaki knew full well that her boyfriend and her number one mangaka didn't get along. Well, Usagi had the horrible tendency to not get along with anyone who even talked to Misaki, but he was particularly leery of those who showed romantic interest in her. Ijuuin wasn't a very subtle person, and so Usagi wasn't very subtle in his hostility toward him.

She blushed, and immediately knew he'd attempt to court her again. That's usually how their conversations ended up. "Well, you know, we've been texting, he calls sometimes…"

"If you're ever feeling lonely, just know that I'm here for you at any time. I'll be you're biggest fan, just like you're mine!"

"That's- good to know." She said, moving away from his touch and feeling conflicted. "I'm fine though, he'll be back in a week." She always felt uneasy about being around the man who she idolized, as his spontaneous crush that he somehow developed for her made her want to avoid him. Then again, this was the man that wrote her favorite manga series, so she always had an attraction to him on that level. That made being around him conflicting, she didn't know what the best course of action would be regarding their relationship.

"Aww, really? That's too bad." He pouted at that, but only for a split second. "But anyway, are you excited for the newest issue of The Kan? You know it's fans like you that make me most proud of what I do."

"Aha, you know it." She said, suddenly feeling a little more uplifted. Having this kind of casual relationship with a man she idolized was somewhat conflicting, but if they could keep it professional, she wouldn't mind deepening the friendship.

"Who's this guy?" He asked casually.

"Um, this is my bodyguard." She lied. Though, why she picked 'bodyguard' was beyond her.

"Ooooh, I see how it is." His tone indicated that he was playfully wounded by this information. "You already have a side guy, and it's not me…"

Haruhiko's eye twitched ever so slightly, but Misaki caught it. Hearing someone say it out loud like that horrified her, but she couldn't work up the courage to deny it outright. "He's just my bodyguard, and uh, that's all right now."

"Right now?"

"Ah, I mean, er."

Haruhiko's expression said he'd had enough of these shenanigans and he took her by the hand.

Ijuuin sighed. "I haven't given up on you!" He called playfully with a smile. "Come over anytime you're feeling lonely, or if you want to discuss The Kan."

Neither of them looked back. Apparently Haruhiko was experiencing a bout of jealousy, which Misaki found simultaneously adorable and annoying. For the briefest of moments she wondered what it was about her that drove nearly all of the men she met wild. She'd never been particularly popular until she met Usagi, and ever since then it seemed like she couldn't keep the guys away from her. Once they were out of earshot, and half way to the car, Haruhiko started mumbling. "I take it that associate of yours has also been trying to win your affections?"

"Well, he's not really an associate, we don't talk much really, given our jobs." Explaining this was beyond embarrassing, and almost felt like an extra layer of dishonesty. She already felt bad about betraying her lover, now she was feeling off about the possibility of Haruhiko getting jealous of Ijuuin. It was almost comical in a way. "I'm just more or less a fan of his work."

"Hmm, is that so?" The sharpness of his tone and the fierceness of his otherwise stoic eyes betrayed how jealous he was. Even if he pretended to be unaffected by Ijuuin's presence, Misaki could see right through him. She chuckled at the absurdity of it all, but he didn't bother responding to that.

Suddenly something clicked in her mind, and she took out her cell phone. It had been set to silent since this morning, and she knew that her overly needy boyfriend would have sent about ten-million texts already. Her suspicions were proven true when she checked her inbox. A small chuckle escaped her, until it turned into a growl of disapproval in reaction to all of his horn dog requests. Though, she knew it couldn't be helped and snapped a quick selfie. Then she sent a quick message explaining, 'just got out of my first day panel! Do you think I look good enough to make a good impression?' She gave a euphoric sigh then, and glanced up to her present company. He was just as flat as he always was, concentrating on driving without any other apparent motive. The silence was getting a little strange, but she didn't know what topic to lead with to break it.

"Are you texting him?" Haruhiko asked casually, pretending not to take his attention from the road.

"Yeah, he's a pretty needy guy." She said, suddenly feeling guilty again.

"That doesn't surprise me." He said with a low growl. "He was always weak."

She didn't bother to respond to that, and the rest of the car ride proceeded in silence.

As they entered the house, Haruhiko appeared to hesitate for a second. Suddenly he said, "do you mind if I take a picture?"

"What, do you mean of me?"

"…Yeah." He said, unsure if he should proceed or not. "I want to remember our time together, when you're gone."

"Well, I'm not gone yet." Her gaze was cast away. What he was asking was beyond embarrassing, but not particularly offensive. "But sure, go ahead."

He produced an old fashioned camera, something Misaki wouldn't have expected from him. "Smile for me." He said simply, Misaki moved into a snarky victory pose with a sly grin. The picture was snapped, and he placed the camera on the counter. "Should I treat you to something? You did well today, I think you deserve a present."

While she was flattered, she didn't feel much like doing anything special. She'd settle for something simple, just this once. "Could you massage my shoulders?"

Such a request made Haruhiko raise an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

Without looking at him, she took a seat on the couch. "Yeah, I'm sure."

He didn't need to be told twice. He approached and put his hands on her shoulders. Since she didn't pull away, he continued, gradually applying pressure to work out the knots. She'd occasionally let out a purr or a sigh, which made Haruhiko hesitate.

"Keep going, it feels good." She said in a relaxed, breathy voice.

He tried his hardest to keep it up, but her soft sighs and euphoric face made him flustered, and eventually Haruhiko released her and walked into his room without a word.

Of course she noticed his odd behaviour, but she wouldn't press him on it. Instead, she'd take the time to get all caught up with the other nagging Usami texting her nonstop.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I was told to upload twice today, so here's the second!

* * *

Alone in his room, Haruhiko stared at the ceiling and tried to organize his thoughts. Just touching Misaki as innocently as he did made him flustered, and so he removed himself from that situation to avoid going too far. He sighed for his own shame and weakness, trying to put those impure thoughts out of his head.

With his mind wandering, he tried to piece together why he was feeling such strange emotions whenever he was around Misaki. He understood that he was attracted to her, but for what reason. As of now, he couldn't quite figure it out. It went beyond just trying to spite his brother, he was sure of that, but how much further did it go?

All of his speculating led him nowhere, and eventually he got off his bed and ran a hand through his hair. Sulking in his room and hiding like a coward wasn't going to accomplish anything, so he might as well man up and enjoy the limited time he had with the woman he loved. Maybe he'd apologise for leaving her abruptly during a massage.

Haruhiko returned to the common room to find Misaki cooking supper for them in the kitchen. She didn't appear to by angry with him, instead, she appeared delighted. "Oh, you're just in time." She said.

He approached and sat at the table, doing nothing but observing. She placed a plate in front of him and took a seat nearby. He cast his gaze aside and began eating in silence.

"How is it? I didn't make the bread, I just used what was hanging around."

"It's good, like always." He felt a little guilty that he didn't think of making something for her. She did work all day, as far as he was concerned, so it seemed unfair to make her do the cooking on top of that.

"That's good." The room went quiet after that, save for the sounds of utensils hitting plates. For some reason, he ate quickly, and then turned his attention to Misaki. She noticed and wasn't sure what to make of his lingering eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just that, you remind of someone when you act like this."

"Oh, really?" Misaki said, blushing slightly. She was almost too nervous to ask who, but she assumed it was someone he dated in the past. It couldn't hurt to press a little, just to see what was going on in his mind. "Who?"

He hesitated, as if he was suddenly too shy to say it. After that he took a deep breath, and answered, "my mother."

It wasn't the answer she was expecting, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She had expected him to go off on a tangent like Usagi would, saying that she reminded him of a past lover, or someone he thought was attractive in one way or another, but this seemed a lot more personal and deep. She couldn't tell if she was flattered or not, but she did feel her pulse increase. "Oh, um, in what way?" Considering what kinds of shenanigans they got into in the past, it would seem kind of strange if he saw her like his mother.

"I'd have to say, your diligence, and your kindness." His tone was hushed, as if he was unsure of disclosing this information. "Also, I feel calm when I'm around you."

"Oh, um, thank you." Hearing all this somehow made her flattered, and a little confused at the same time. She didn't feel like pressing anymore after that though, and would let the subject drop if he didn't want to explain further.

She gathered up the dishes then, and placed them in the sink. Haruhiko approached then. "I'll take it from here, if you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all." At that, she stood down, allowing him to take over the menial chores. She made her way back to the common room and thought about what to write. Next day's panel was also on her mind, but fretting about it wouldn't solve anything.

Haruhiko didn't take too long cleaning the dishes since there were only two of them, and joined the author in the common room. Eventually he sidled over to her, she was unusually aware of his presence but made no move to avoid him. "Misaki-" His own voice sounded unsure, she turned to face him and their eyes locked. The expression on his face was somehow intense and yet unreadable, but it didn't appear hostile or predatory.

"Um."

In one swift motion, he grabbed her and hauled her onto his lap. A gentle hand rested on the top of her head while the other arm held her close to his chest. No further moves were made, he just held her like that, not escalating the situation further.

In all honesty, she didn't mind this kind of contact. If her boyfriend had tried something like this, she knew it would instantly escalate to something lewd. Actually, he'd likely cut right to the grabbing and feeling before feeding her some cheesy line about wanting her or something. Thinking about it now, he usually didn't put that much effort into his romantic advances, he was usually too focussed on getting what he wanted to act romantically for long. She closed her eyes and just let it happen. Since he wasn't pressing her to do anything, she just relaxed and let him hold her.

Eventually he did make a move, to do nothing other than stroke her hair. She couldn't help but think of Usagi then, it was so similar to how he'd stroke her hair early in their relationship. He hadn't done that in a long time, so Haruhiko doing it now gave her an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Her cheeks started to burn with the gentle feeling welling up, but she said nothing and let him continue.

"…You haven't pulled away." He observed. His last few attempts at advances had been instantly shot down, so he was left feeling perplexed as to why she wasn't pushing him away now.

"Well, you know, this isn't so bad." She conceded. The familiar feel of this situation eased all of her tension, and even if she knew she shouldn't be leading him on like this, she didn't have the motivation to stop it.

He said nothing, just continued to hold her. Eventually she could hear him sigh contentedly, which she mirrored. His grip on her loosened, and she realised she should move away. So she slid off of his lap and sat next to him on the couch. Both of them were now too bashful to look at each other, and so a silence hung over them. Haruhiko adjusted his glasses while Misaki cleared her throat. "Um, well, I'm going back to writing." She declared, hurrying to open her laptop to ease the suddenly awkward atmosphere that now hung between them. "Do you mind reading what I have so far? I uh, I'm not sure how to end the scene I'm working on, and the panel hasn't exactly made it easier you know."

At that, he gave a nod of compliance. She offered him a nervous grin and continued. "So, in the scene, Margaret's ex is trying to win her back by bringing up old memories, but she's not falling for it. The scene is getting increasingly tenser as the ex becomes more hostile. I'm still wondering whether or not she should pretend to succumb to his advances, or remain defiant."

"Hmm." He mumbled contemplatively. "I think you should decide for yourself which is the better route, then write it out, and then I'll see if you made the right choice."

She huffed at his statement, taking it as a partial insult or challenge. It was unclear if he was testing her or not, but she would accept that challenge and exceed his expectations, if for no other reason than to prove her worth as a writer.

Suddenly they heard something going on outside. "Did you hear that?" Misaki said, suddenly going pale. The noise sounded like something hitting the side of the house. Not something too large or heavy, maybe an animal or something. The first thing that entered Misaki's mind was a burglar or something, and thus was unnerved.

While they were both startled, they were both spurred on to see what it was. "Stay here Misaki, I'll see what's out there."

"No, I want to come too." She said. "If it's dangerous, I want to be there to help you." She knew she wouldn't be that effective in a dangerous situation, but at the very least she could call the police.

"Alright, but stay behind me. I'll protect you." They exited cautiously, looking around. Nothing came into view yet, so they slowly made their way to the side of the house where the noise was heard. What they saw wasn't a wild animal or a criminal, but a pair of children, a boy and a girl, looking startled at the two adults that had discovered them.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: To Abode of Mist, it is the will of the requester! Also, side note, full disclosure, I'm not Japanese, and I've never been to Japan, I know nothing about Japanese law and the like. So I have no idea what the police would do in a situation like this. Um, I guess this is fiction, so, apologies to Japanese police everywhere if I misrepresented you. I guess for the purposes of the story, it kinda has to be this way.

* * *

They stared in disbelief at the kids, who stared back looking equally bewildered. The boy stepped forward first, as if to guard the girl. He appeared to be about seven or eight, while the girl appeared to be four or five. He said nothing, he just stood his ground looking defiant. The adults stood dumbfounded, until Haruhiko took the initiative to speak.

"Are you two lost?"

The boy backed down a little, looking defeated after wandering around the woods all day. "Not really, kinda, maybe…" He said, slightly confused, and still defiant.

"How long have you been lost?"

"…Since this morning, sir."

Haruhiko sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You must be tired then, come in."

Misaki looked at him as if she didn't expect that to be his solution. While the kids appeared suspicious of them, they did eventually concede and followed them inside.

For a while the kids waited in the porch while Haruhiko called the police. He couldn't get any information about where the kids lived, the boy refused to say anything on the matter. He'd claim that he didn't know his address or his phone number, and the girl hadn't said a word since they found them. Since they were currently so far out of the city, it would take a while for the police to arrive.

Misaki approached then, looking at the kids sympathetically. "Are you two tired? Hungry maybe?" Since she didn't know what to do in a situation like this, she proceeded with caution. She was worried that the police would get the wrong idea or something, and she certainly didn't want to get 'kidnapper' on her record. Though, she couldn't do nothing, especially since these forlorn looking children had already admitted to being lost all day.

"I'm really hungry…" The girl said, casting her eyes down.

"Well, I could whip you up something." She paused, feeling uneasy about going through with this. "Are you two allergic to anything? Is there something you can't eat for one reason or another?"

"No." The boy said, as the girl appeared to be confused by her question. "We'll manage, I don't need anything from you."

"I'd really like something." She said, ignoring what the boy said. Eventually he too conceded, and decided to accept Misaki's offer.

"Alright, fine. I'll take whatever you want to give me…"

She forced a smile, and turned to enter the kitchen. Suddenly she remembered something and turned back to the kids. "You can come in you know, you don't have to stay in the porch."

The kids hesitated, but then eventually took off their shoes and entered the common room. Haruhiko had just gotten off the phone with the police and gave a heavy sigh. His attention turned to the kids, and since he didn't know what he should be doing, he just stared them down as if he were studying them. The girl seemed a little nervous around him and gripped the boy's sleeve. Eventually Haruhiko cast his gaze down, and took a seat on one of the couches. The kids sat opposite of him, and silence hung heavily between them.

Haruhiko was first to break the silence. "So, do you kids want to watch cartoons or something?" His lack of experience in dealing with kids made him hesitant to even ask. Though, his channel package for this place included most of the available channels, even some specifically for kids. There weren't any kid friendly toys hanging around, so keeping them entertained would be a real problem if they were here for any length of time.

"…Okay." The boy said in a downtrodden voice.

Haruhiko flicked on the previously unused television, and found the first kid's channel and selected that. The kids didn't complain, and they continued to sit in silence.

Misaki showed up with some sandwiches cut in the shape of cats with cute faces on the top. She thought about making some octopus wieners, but since they didn't have any, this would have to do. Making kid friendly food wasn't that hard, considering she did it all the time for her boyfriend. She set the plates down in front of the kids, and the girl immediately started eating. The boy took a few seconds, but eventually he gave in and started eating slowly.

"So um, what are your names, if you don't mind me asking?" Misaki asked nervously. Haruhiko appeared to be lost in an episode of Doraemon, watching intensely.

"I'm Mamoru. This is Yukari." The boy said. "She doesn't remember much lately, so don't ask her too many questions." His voice was largely despondent, and his explanation was a little lacking and unnerving.

"Well, she is very young." Misaki said, as if trying to make them feel better. "It's okay if she has trouble remembering, I won't ask her too many questions."

Mamoru looked away, but Yukari looked up with a smile on her face. "Thanks for the food nice lady." She got up then, and ran over to hug Misaki. The author was taken aback by such a gesture, but was at least glad that one of the kids was starting to feel better.

"It's no problem." She said, then turned her attention to Haruhiko. "Um, what did the police say?"

Haruhiko was startled out of his cartoon watching at her question, but then diligently responded, "they're coming here now, they're going to get our statements and then try to return the kids to their parents."

"Oh, that's good." While it was pleasing to know that the police were on it, she still couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole situation. Mamoru's temperament and Yukari's memory loss appeared to be suspicious, and she wondered why they ventured so far into the woods in the first place. She had heard Haruhiko asking them questions earlier, but Mamoru appeared to evasive and dodged all of the questions about where they came from. Misaki wondered if he'd open up to her. "Mamoru, do you live nearby? I didn't think there were any other houses out here."

"…We live in a big house in this forest." He said in a partially hushed voice. "I didn't think there were any other people here either, but I guess there are some houses hidden here." She could detect a spark of excitement in his voice, and wondered if he had just gotten lost exploring. "Your house is bigger though, I guess you have lots of money…"

"Ahaha, well, maybe." She paused then, unsure of how to keep the conversation going. Besides Mahiro, who she saw significantly less than she wanted to, she didn't have much experience with children. "If you don't mind me asking, did you happen to get lost exploring the woods?"

"…Something like that." He said. "When I saw your house, I thought I could sneak in, but the hatch was locked, so that's when you found us." He got up then, and handed Misaki his now empty plate. "Thanks for the food by the way."

"Glad you liked it." She said.

After that, there wasn't much of a dialogue exchange. The kids mostly kept to themselves, and Misaki and Haruhiko were more or less cautious about what they should do. Luckily, the kids seemed pretty content with watching whatever show came on.

The police appeared later on, to question everyone about the nature of the situation. Haruhiko explained, to the best of his abilities, what exactly happened. When they questioned the kids, Yukari didn't respond at all, and Mamoru claimed to not know anything. He refused to give his address, phone number, or his parents' names. After more questioning, the police concluded that they'd search the nearby residents in order to determine where the children came from. Haruhiko claimed he'd be okay with watching the kids while the investigation took place.

Eventually Yukari fell asleep on the couch, Mamoru stayed with her the whole time as if to guard her against anyone who might try to move her. It was pretty late, and the two adults weren't sure what to do. Misaki would have shown them to one of their rooms, but it seemed like they both didn't want to be moved. Misaki grabbed Haruhiko by the arm and dragged him into her room. He was confused as to why she would do that until she started talking.

"What should we do? They're just there, on the couch, should we leave them there?"

The level headed Haruhiko adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly. "I'll bring out a blanket for them if they want to stay on the couch."

"I've got a bad feeling about this, the police said they'd keep looking into this right?"

"They said they'd call when they figure out where the kids belong. They're searching the area first, but if they don't find anything, they're going to take them."

Misaki was noticeably worried, but since there was nothing she could do, she figured she might as well accept their company for a while.

Haruhiko did get a blanket after some time, and placed it over the kids once Mamoru fell asleep. They both sighed, and ended up staying up for most of the night fretting about what was to come.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Double feature today, but I still don't know if this makes sense haha. Apologies again to Japanese people involved with the law and anyone who knows about Japanese law.

* * *

In the morning, Misaki dragged herself out of her room to check on the kids. They were still sleeping on the couch, looking peaceful. If Misaki managed to get a good night's sleep, she might have been happy that they were comfortable. Though, considering she was still worried about them, and about the police search, and why they weren't giving any information about where they came from, she found it hard to find any delight in this situation. So to occupy her mind, she began cooking breakfast for the four of them.

Haruhiko was up shortly after, and it appeared like he had managed to get more sleep than Misaki. He regarded the sleeping children before joining Misaki in the kitchen. "You look stressed." He observed plainly.

"What did you expect? I couldn't sleep a wink thinking about the kids."

"Don't forget that you have work today." He said plainly.

She hadn't forgotten about that, but with lost kids currently in their house, she found it hard to concentrate on anything else. "What's going to happen then? I guess I could drive myself there, and you could keep watch over the kids."

"I guess there's no other way." He certainly didn't want to bring the kids anywhere, he wanted to make sure he was there when the police showed up. Not only that, but he didn't want to draw suspicions to himself, so it would be best if he waited patiently for the police to show up. Not only that, but he was certain that kids as young as them would find today's event boring. Misaki seemed to share in his thoughts and just nodded.

"I want you to text me right away if the police show up. I'll check my messages during intermission or something. Will you be okay to watch the kids for a few hours?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I doubt two young children will cause me more trouble than I can handle."

Upon hearing that, Misaki suppressed a chuckle. Though her interaction with children with limited, she knew how hard it could be looking after just one kid, so she wondered if Haruhiko could actually handle two of them with no experience. If anything, she knew he could trust him to be competent at least. For now she was grateful that Haruhiko was here with her, and not her boyfriend who was way too immature to deal with kids. Even his interactions with Mahiro were embarrassing and childish, so it was good that he wasn't aware of what was going on now. No way would she tell him about this little situation.

Yukari was the first of the kids to wake, and joined them in the kitchen. "Good morning nice guy and lady." She said, partially shyly.

"Good morning, you can call me Misaki by the way, and this is Haruhiko." The author said, partially embarrassed that she didn't introduce herself yesterday.

"Misaki." She responded. "Are you making breakfast?"

"Oh, yes. Would you like some?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, it's almost done. Is Mamoru awake yet?"

"Hmm, I don't know, let me see."

They both returned shortly after, with Mamoru looking tired and grumpy and Yukari looking spry. "He wants some yummies too." She declared.

"Yeah- what she said." He confirmed.

She served them at the table, and while Yukari was unusually talkative about various things, Mamoru hardly said a word. Misaki turned to Haruhiko then, "I'll have to go to work soon, so, are you sure you're okay with being here alone?"

"I'll be fine, I wouldn't have you shirking work just because of this." He said plainly.

"Alright then. You kids be good for Haruhiko, okay? I'll be back in few hours.

"Aww, okay." Yukari got up then, and hugged Misaki around the legs. "Come back soon Misaki!"

She chuckled at the kids' general antics, and then took the keys to the car and left.

There was silence for a while, until Yukari started talking again. In her eagerness, she started pressing Haruhiko on the nature of his relationship. "Are you married?" Yukari asked out of the blue.

"No, we're just friends." Haruhiko replied as if he were talking to an adult while he got to work cleaning the dishes.

"Are you in love?" She continued to press.

"… Maybe."

"Wow! Like a fairy tale!"

Mamoru just rolled his eyes, apparently not interested in this girly talk. "If we're going to be here a while, do you have something fun to do?"

"I'm afraid we don't have much here in the way of children's toys." He said bluntly. "You could watch more cartoons if you want."

"That's kind of boring." He said with a slightly pouty face. "Do you at least have some paper hanging around?"

"I suppose." At that, he searched around the house with the kids following him. He located some craft supplied and brought them into the common room. While it wasn't much, the kids seemed happy enough with the arrangement and got to work doodling and making paper crafts. Haruhiko just watched for the most part, as they didn't need his assistance right away. Occasionally Yukari would ask him to cut out something for her, or ask him if there was any more tape and the like. He didn't seem too bothered by their antics and went along with them.

-Later-

She arrived home, and Haruhiko appeared to be playing a homemade board game with the kids. The board was drawn crudely on a few sheets of paper taped together, Misaki assumed one of the kids drew it and Haruhiko took care of constructing it. Haruhiko was using an empty salt shaker as his piece, Mamoru was using a coin, and Yukari was using a baby carrot. Just seeing that made Misaki giggle, either at the kids' creativity or Haruhiko's quick thinking.

Yukari noticed Misaki's return then, and waved her over. "Welcome back Misaki!" She said with a jubilant smile. "Come play with us! We made up this game and put it together, Mamoru made up the rules and it's really fun!"

"Hahaha, alright." She said. Then she turned her attention to Haruhiko, her tone fell a little. "Did you hear anything else from the police?"

"They should be here any minute now." He explained blandly. "The parents have been found, they're coming to collect them."

"Oh, that's good. About how long ago did you get this information?"

"I'd say about an hour, give or take."

"Well, that's good. Are you happy to finally go home kids?"

Mamoru turned away, as if he wasn't pleased with that result. "My turn…" He said, as if to change the subject. "If you're playing, then you have to start at the start, so you'll probably lose."

"Ahaha, that's okay." His evasive tone made her feel a little concerned as to why he wasn't pleased to be going home. Still, she didn't want to make the kids feel uncomfortable, especially considering they wouldn't be there much longer. She took a seat then, and used the partially full pepper shaker as her piece. She noticed that they were using a homemade die, a cube made of paper with drawn on dots. She speculated that Haruhiko had a hand in making this, and it made her smile thinking he went out of his way to entertain the kids.

The game was a little convoluted, and Mamoru seemed to be making up the rules as they went along. Yukari seemed pleased with the game though, even if the rules didn't make any sense and the kids appeared to be tipping the game in their favour. It was pretty much what Misaki expected from kids. Haruhiko didn't bother questioned the sudden rule changes either, and just went along with whatever they said. This resulted in him getting told that he 'died' a lot and had to go back to the start. For some reason the kids appeared to be little more lenient on Misaki, she only got the 'you died' order when she neared the end of the board.

They didn't get to the end either, as finally the police appeared to bring the kids back home. While they appeared hesitant, they did eventually go with the police. "Bye bye!" Yukari said, but Mamoru said nothing, just looked despondently at his shoes as they were taken away.

They were left in the silence of their solitude once more. They sighed, and eventually retreated back to the common room. The crudely made game stared on the table, they didn't have the energy to put it away.

"I'm a little worried, they seemed really reluctant to go." Misaki observed.

"They're probably just worried about getting grounded." He said bluntly.

"Still…"

"It's better if they're with their parents." He said, adjusting his glasses and turning away. "Anyway, they're going back where they belong."

Misaki said nothing in response. She just retreated to her room feeling dejected and a little worried. Haruhiko didn't follow her, he'd just let her be for the time being.


	19. Chapter 19

After a long time contemplating, Misaki exited her room and made her way to the common room. She could see Haruhiko cooking up something, and he gave her a nod once he noticed her. The game from earlier had been shuffled to the side, but was still visible. "Supper's almost ready."

"Thanks for cooking it for me." She said. "Um, are you feeling tired? I'll bet you had a rough day dealing with the kids."

"Not really." He said. "It wasn't too hard. Once they get going, they pretty much entertain themselves." His eyes darted over to the crudely made game in the corner of the room. Misaki assumed the creation of that game took most of the day.

"Well, at least you had a good time." She said, taking a seat at the table and watching him as he worked.

"Oh, before I forget, how was work today?"

"It was actually pretty hectic, but we'll find out whose books will get featured. I got to interact with some fans, I got to interact with the up and comers. I was a little distracted, but it went pretty well…"

"Well done." It went quiet then, as neither of them knew what else to say. Haruhiko finished cooking after some time and plated the food. They ate in relative silence until Haruhiko spoke up. "Do you think we should stock up on some kid friendly things? You know, just in case they show up again…"

Misaki raised an eyebrow at that statement. It seemed way out of character for Haruhiko. "You really think they'll be back?"

"I have a feeling, like we'll see them again. Even if we don't, I'm sure there will be a use for such things eventually."

Misaki couldn't help but chuckle at him. "If you get some materials, I could make them a teddy bear each."

"Hmm, I think they'd appreciate a handmade present from you." He appeared to be lost in thought then, but it was obvious that he liked the idea. "Tomorrow, we can pick up some supplies."

She regarded him with a sly grin. "So you're going to make me work all day, then work more when I get off work?" Her voice was largely playful, honestly she thought it was adorable that he was looking out for the kids, but she didn't know if she'd be up for doing anything after that.

He took her statement literally though, and felt a little guilty for it. "Sorry, that was insensitive of me."

"Relax, I was only kidding." Her hand made a waving motion, as if to dismiss what she just said. "I'll see what I can do. Oh, do you want me to make one for you too?"

At that, he cast his gaze down, as if to hide his eyes. "If you're going to make me something, how about a plush toy of you?" His voice was hushed, as if he partially didn't want her to hear that statement.

Misaki raised an eyebrow at that request. "Well, I guess I could give it a try. So far I've only made teddy bears, and the occasional bunny." She blushed, suddenly feeling unusually self-conscious.

"I would like it either way." He said plainly. "If it's too much trouble, then don't bother."

She became determined to give him a gift, even if it was a doll of herself. It seemed a little awkward, but she would do it. "It's not too much trouble." She said finally. The air did seem to get a little tense then, and she didn't know if she should keep talking or fall silent.

After that they cleared the table and took a seat in the common room. There continued to be a silence between them.

Just then, her phone started vibrating, and the 'you got a text' jingle started sounding off in near rapid fire succession. Already she knew it was her boyfriend, and she checked her texts to see what he was up to this time.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes, eventually settling on sending him a reply to some of his whiny tangents.

"What's going on?" Haruhiko asked, partially because her phone was jingling nonstop.

"I got a few texts from Usagi." Misaki said, looking confused. "There's about fifty here telling me to get away from Akira, and that he loves me, and that Akira is a predator, and that he hates Akira…"

Haruhiko raised an eyebrow. "Who's Akira?"

"You're Akira! I put you in as Akira in my phone so he wouldn't know it's you."

He adjusted his glasses with a sigh. "You think he's onto us?"

She scoffed at that idea, "if he knew, he'd be using your real name, and he'd probably be a lot angrier. He just saw this name on my phone the other day and I bet he's been paranoid about it ever since."

"Hmm, well, sorry to have put you in this difficult situation…"

"It's not that difficult a situation, he gets like this with everyone." She just rolled her eyes and continued reading the texts. Right from the first one, it was clear that Usagi was letting his imagination run wild.

'I love you Misaki, more than that jerk Akira ever could. No matter what he's telling you, I will always love you more. He can't treat you as good as I can. He can't give you what I can. Don't forget about me.'

His childlike whining made her chuckle a little, he could be cute at times. She kept reading then.

'If you're unsatisfied with something, please let me know. I'll do anything for you, anything. I love you. I love you more than anything, I love you more than anyone. No one could ever love you like I do.'

'Akira is a predator. Stay away from him. Quit your job if you have to. Tell him to take a hike. If I find out who he is, I'm going to run him over with my car!'

'Please call me Misaki, I want to hear your voice. I need to hear your voice. I love you.'

'Are you with him right now? Is he part of the panel you're doing? When was the last time you talked to him? Don't ever talk to him again! He's horrible!'

'I love you Misaki.'

His texts basically continued on like that for some time. Just another incoherent rant about how much he loved her and how Akira was horrible, and that he wanted her. She just rolled her eyes and sent him a few texts claiming she wasn't doing anything with Akira, and that he had nothing to worry about, and that tomorrow was her last day for the panel anyway. For a while she debated sending him a message that said, 'I love you too,' and eventually gave in and sent it. There was a brief pause then, and she wondered if he gave up on texting.

'I'm glad Misaki. I love you more than you could know. But I still want you to get away from Akira, just in case…'

Haruhiko peered over her shoulder then for only a brief second. While he wasn't able to see much of her messages, he could discern the context. He sighted, feeling despondent, and elected to sit next to Misaki on the couch. She hardly paid him any attention while she sent out the first lot of texts, but eventually became aware of his presence.

"Something the matter?" She asked.

"Not really, I'll leave if I'm making you feel uncomfortable."

She rolled her eyes again. Dealing with two of the Usamis at once was harder than she thought. "I'm fine. Hey, do you want to read my latest chapters? By the time you're done with that, I should be done dealing with him."

"Alright." He said simply.

She booted up her laptop and allowed him to read over her work. All the while she responded to his whiny brother. For some reason, it wasn't emotionally trying. She could deal with this.

Haruhiko continued to read until he was all caught up, and only offered mild criticisms. Eventually he turned in for the night and Misaki was left to contemplate the ending of her novel.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Warning, this is totally another lemon chapter. Did I get better? Probably not, sorry about that! Anyway, to the guest that requested the nightmare scene, this is it! I hope I was able to do it justice! Also, I'll see if I can have another chapter up later on.

* * *

-Earlier-

 _It was just past dusk and the sun had already set, only a marginal glow could be seen on the horizon. Usagi was hard at work in his room, diligently typing up his latest masterpiece. Suddenly a slow knock caught his attention, he looked up to see his lover wearing a very come hither look and absolutely nothing else. She didn't need to say a thing, he body spoke for her with her blushing face and moistened pussy. Usagi immediately closed his laptop and approached, drinking in the intoxicating sight of his seductive lover. When he was close enough to touch her, she reached out first and shoved him down. Somehow he landed softly, able to watch with intrigue as suddenly his eager lover joined him on the floor. She wasted no time straddling him and wrapping her arms around her shoulders._

So it was one of those dreams. Even in his sleep, the corners of his mouth curled up in delight. It wasn't often that Misaki took charge like that, even in his dreams.

 _Her hips ground against his shamelessly, leaving dampened stains on his pants as she attacked his mouth with her own. Her tongued moved against his fiercely and sloppily at the same time with not a hint of modesty. Hot, needy moans were wrung form her throat and she pulled her mouth away. The proof of his desire pressed against her under his pants, swelling uncomfortably within its confines. His hand reached down to release his growing erection, only to have his arm forcefully slapped away by a suddenly annoyed Misaki. "I didn't say you could do that." She moaned out in a stern voice filled with magnificent lust. "If you defy me again, I'll have to punish you." As if to drive her point home, she slid her hips off of him and elected instead to tease him more subtly. With her palm, she mercilessly massaged his swelling, confined cock with a mischievous look in her eye that dared him to cross her. "I bet you want me to release this part, don't you?" The pressure applied by her palm eased, until it was removed entirely. A sadistic grin appeared on her face as she replaced her palm with a single finger, feather touching that bulge with just the tip. Such teasing contact was torturous, he was quickly losing himself in the haze of lust._

 _"Yes, please, release me Misaki." Normally he assumed the dominant role in dreams like this, but for some reason a dominant Misaki was irresistibly sexy right now, so he'd play along._

 _"Well, since you've been such a good boy, I guess you've earned that privilege." The one finger ghosting over his clothed cock travelled teasingly toward his zipper, which was then seized and pulled down. Her teeth flashed in a wide grin as she intentionally let the button intact and moved her face down to nuzzle that meat over his underwear. Through that thin fabric barrier, she could feel the immense heat welling up, and she giggled with delight. She brought her tongue along the clothed shaft before hauling down that annoying piece of cloth. His erection sprang up through the open zipper, and she wasted no time in grabbing that hot shaft and rubbing it against her cheek, taking in that scent. She slipped the tip into her mouth, her tongue laved over the slit to taste the delicious precum forming there. Moans bubbled in her throat, creating an almost ticklish sensation around the meat in her mouth. Deliberately, she kept her lips firmly clasped just over the head, ignoring the shaft entirely to drive him crazy with need._

 _"Misaki-" He was almost about to grab her hair, but his hand was slapped away again with a pseudo annoyed grunt from Misaki. She moved her head up and his cock slid out of her mouth with a playful pop._

 _"I didn't tell you to do that. Now I'm going to have to punish you." The button on his pants quickly came undone, and she hauled them off so fast it almost left burns. His cock now looked so vulnerable, it was at her mercy. She wasn't about to be merciful either, she took advantage of that vulnerability by grabbing and squeezing with a fully clenched fist._

 _"Uhn, Misaki-"_

 _"Silence!" Only her thumb moved against the hot flesh, the rest of her fingers clamped hard like a vice. Her lips curled up to reveal a toothy grin. Without warning she latched her lips upon him again, but raked the tip with her teeth. It wasn't hard enough to hurt but it was rough enough to get her point across. Usagi closed his eyes and ground his teeth, sighing in partial delight and partial aggravation._

 _Dream Misaki eased up then, apparently satisfied with the punishment. She made a purring noise and relaxed her throat muscles, taking his entire length within her mouth so that her bottom lip brushed against his salty, sweaty balls. She didn't move her head right away, instead moving her tongue. Her eyes raised and met his, and her mischievous, devilish passion awakened. Finally her head moved all the while she raised two fingers to stroke the underside of his balls. The tips of her fingers brushed against his asshole._

 _He jolted up, giving his lover a better view and easier access to his sensitive parts. "Such a naughty boy, showing off like this." Those words were barely audible, as he hardly bothered to articulate them. Her mouth was too busy trying to milk that dick while her fingers forced their way inside his ass while her palm rubbed and kneaded his balls. Her fingers hooked and scissored inside him, while she chuckled around his meat at his reactions. He bit his lip and sighed heavily, as if reaching his limit._

 _"What, did you think I'd let you cum?" Her grip tightened painfully. "Silly boy, I didn't say you could do that." She chuckled, mercilessly clutching the twitching member. Her other hand stopped teasing his balls and ass, leaving him feeling unbearably frustrated._

 _"Misaki-" he rasped, his tone noticeably agitated. "Don't stop-"_

 _"Who told you you could speak? Do I have to punish you again?"_

 _He'd had enough of this, and pushed her down on her back. Overtaken by lust and the need to cum, he wasn't willing to put up with her teasing anymore. The teasing had run its course, and he groaned, more in frustration than pleasure, and he shoved him off and onto her back on the floor. "No more waiting, we do this my way now." He said, licking his lips. Misaki looked up at him, startled._

 _Her face suddenly contorted with fear. "What are you doing? No, please."_

 _His eyes darkened with animalistic lust as he forced her arms behind her head. She struggled against his arm holding her down, but couldn't break that grip._

 _"You're lucky I don't spank you for being so selfish."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _He loomed over her then, with his cock pointed at her dripping pussy. "You want it, don't you? Your pussy's crying out for my dick."_

 _"No- please-" It was unclear if she meant that or not._

 _"This says otherwise." He said with a sadistic grin, as he fingered her drenched slit with delight. "Your slutty body wants this, doesn't it?"_

 _"No, wait-"_

 _He didn't listen, and forced himself in, though he found it much easier than usual, as if Misaki had somehow become loose. Despite her earlier protest, she instantly moaned and thrust her hips against his. "Oh, yes, good-"_

 _"Maybe I should punish you, Misaki." He growled, pounding into her uncontrollably. Being pushed to the brink made him unable to hold back._

 _"It's amazing, punish me-"_

 _"Heh."_

 _"Ah! Ah! Akira-"_

 _The sound of someone else's name coming from his lover made him cold. It couldn't be true, there had to be some kind of mistake. "Say my name."_

 _"Akira! Ha, ahh, Akira!"_

 _"Misaki-" He was horrified, disgusted even, but he couldn't stop his hips. "I'm not Akira, say MY name!"_

 _"You're amazing Akira, your cock is amazing! Akira! Akira!" Somehow she forced Usagi onto his back, riding him and moaning Akira's name._

 _It felt like his arms had somehow became too heavy to move, and for some reason he couldn't throw her off. She rode him while panting and gasping Akira's name, hips bouncing and forcing him inside. "I love your cock Akira, I love it. More-"_

 _He could cry. His body was telling him to proceed, but his heart was so wounded from hearing his lover calling someone else's name. Being unable to stop her, he was just laying there trying not to openly sob. He couldn't even muster the energy to call her name._

 _"Ah, yes! Akira!" With her hips grinding against his violently, he was completely at her mercy. His cock stayed hard no matter how much he wished it wouldn't. He couldn't contain his lust no matter how much his brain told him this was wrong, and started thrusting up into her. Groans escaped them both, Misaki groaned out in pleasure, Usagi in disgust._

 _Her back arched and she called out Akira's name. Her body shook and her eyes clouded over, and she slumped against his chest. "I love you Akira, don't tell my boyfriend about this, okay?"_

 _Usagi panted, now feeling his anger welling up. "How long has this been going on?" He growled, as if it would make a difference._

 _"Oh, he'll be in America all next week, I'll go to your house and you can fuck me all you want."_

 _His rage flared and he flipped her onto her back again, this time driven by anger. "I'll make you say my name, you filthy cheater-" The tone was a low growl, filled with intimidation. Misaki appeared disinterested, as if she didn't care one bit what he was doing._

 _He forced himself in, but noticed that his lover felt unusually loose around him. He pounded harder, but the friction only became less stimulating. "Misaki!" His words didn't reach her, and suddenly she stopped responding altogether. The sensation became less and less tangible, until Misaki had disappeared entirely. He was left alone, confused as to what happened._

 _His confusion didn't last long, as seconds later he heard loud, needy moaning nearby. Somehow he mustered up the energy to stand, and made his way toward that sound. No matter how horrifying the scenario, he had to know what was going on._

 _Right there in his study, Misaki was partially seated on his desk, eyes rolled up in her head, tongue hanging sloppily on her lips as wet squelching sounds and unhinged moans assaulted his ears. She was with a man, though his face was hidden in the darkness somehow. His dick was positively massive, and in plain view as if to taunt him. It spread her so far, it almost looked like she'd break apart with every thrust, and yet she had entered a state of ecstasy that she never even almost reached with Usagi. "OH GOD! AKIRA!"_

 _"Misaki!" He called to her, horrified by what he saw. They both completely ignored him. He was powerless to proceed further, as if an invisible force was keeping him from entering the room._

 _"Yes! YES! Ahh! Ahh- Akira!"_

 _"Misaki- no-"_

 _"Akira- Mmm AH! Don't stop! Fuck me harder!"_

 _The mystery man Akira said nothing, just granted her wish. His hips caused the whole desk to rock, sending pencils and pens flying. Misaki gripped the desk, unable to comprehend anything except the immense pleasure coursing through her._

 _"Oh, Ah! Yes! YES! AKIRA!" She arched up, and his load of cum poured inside her. Her body continued to twitch and convulse for what seemed like an eternity, until he pulled his monster cock out. His cum splayed out in unrealistic amounts, and Misaki was left gasping for breath, only semi-conscious after being fucked senseless._

 _All of a sudden, it seemed like the barrier keeping him from entering the room lifted and he approached. He still couldn't see the man's face, but he could see his lover, enthralled in the afterglow of rough sex with that stranger. She seemed to notice him now, and regarded him with a contemptuous look. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"_

 _"Misaki- I-" He was at a loss, what could he possibly say after that?_

 _"Go away, I'm sick of you. And by the way, you could never satisfy me. I was always faking it."_

 _Her words wounded him so much that he couldn't even respond. It felt like he might break if he tried saying anything._

 _"I hate you, you disgust me. Don't ever call me again. I need a real man, like Akira, and his amazing cock."_

 _At that, the mystery man Akira came over and scooped her up, Usagi couldn't see the features of his face, but he could see that he was smiling. They turned and walked away, and then suddenly the lights went out. He was left alone in the darkness._

He woke up then, in a cold sweat and gasping for breath. His pulse pounded in his ears, and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. He tried to close his hands into fists, but couldn't because of all the shaking, and already he was starting to taste blood in his mouth. It was a nightmare, the most horrifying nightmare he'd ever had. It took a few minutes for him to come back to reality and realise that what he'd just experienced was just a grotesque illusion conjured up from the deepest recesses of his mind.

Once the shaking in his hands slowed to a manageable level, he grabbed for his phone. He had to contact Misaki and relieve his tension, lest he have a heart attack.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: And on with today's double upload!

* * *

With the final day of the panel to look forward to, Misaki was up early and feeling absolutely elated. As long as everything went smoothly, it would be a complete success. Misaki was glowing with pride as she managed to get through two days without a conflict arising.

Haruhiko was up shortly after, possibly to keep her on track if she was still sleeping or slacking off. "Good morning." He said simply, observing her from the hall.

"Good morning." She replied in an upbeat tone. "Should I make you breakfast?"

"No, take it easy, I'll do it." At that, he approached and took his place in the kitchen. She offered a thankful grin and took a seat on the couch. Her mood was sunny and bright as if she were invincible, something that didn't happen often. While Haruhiko cooked, she checked her messages. Naturally she had her inbox nearly full of texts from her boyfriend, and she decided to mix it up today and actually give him a call. She didn't have anything specific to say to him, but she figured he'd have a lot to say to her.

Her phone barely rung, when a very frantic Usagi answered. "Misaki! How are you? Are you lonely?" His voice sounded strained, as if he hadn't been sleeping. She chuckled as she pictured him with dark circles and wrinkles around his eyes, just like when his deadlines were approaching. After being with him for so long, she'd come to appreciate more of his quirks.

"I'm fine. You sound tired. Have you been sleeping?"

There was a pause, as if he was choosing his words carefully. "I miss you so much. I find it hard to sleep alone."

She chuckled. "Are you enjoying your convention?"

"Oh, it's horrible here. I tried American sushi and it made me sick. The t.v. is terrible, I still don't know how I feel about hotdogs. They'd be better if they were cut to look like octopi…"

She couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes at his child-like whining. "Be an adult already. It's not forever."

"I know, but I'm so lonely. I would love it if you were with me. We could eat bad sushi together, and I could cuddle you…"

"Okay, okay, that's enough." By now she'd had enough of his shenanigans. "I just wanted to call and see how you're doing. Just so you know, this is the last day of my panel."

"Ah, I see, it went well I take it?"

"I don't want to jinx it, but it's been going well so far." She said with pride, wondering if he'd catch on. "I've been told I'll be in a magazine and we've got a slot on the documentary channel too. I'm excited about that."

There was a pause. "I wish I could see that special, but I know it won't be here on American t.v."

"If I see it on I'll record it for you."

"Misaki, have you been working closely with Akira?" His tone shifted to one of worry as he changed the subject abruptly.

"No, not really. I haven't seen him at all during the panel." She lied.

"I love you." He said suddenly.

"Yeah, I know. Talk to you later." She said, abruptly ending the call. In all honesty, she was pleased that he was still going despite sounding tired and needy. She sighed, but felt relaxed.

Meanwhile Haruhiko tried his hardest to pretend not hear her conversation. He knew that she was just having a casual conversation with her boyfriend, but he couldn't help but feel endlessly jealous over it. Even if he knew it wasn't his place to feel such things, he did anyway. So he tried to put those thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on cooking, even if doing so didn't require much of his attention.

"Misaki." He called from the kichen, "your breakfast is ready."

She gave a nod and joined him at the table. Haruhiko observed her good mood and assumed it was because of the conversation she had with his brother. He dismissed the jealous feelings welling up inside him and just ate in silence. Suddenly the situation became awkward.

"Um, you don't have to stick around this time. You can just drop me off and pick me up. Um, didn't you want me to make some plushies anyway? You can go shopping for that while you wait for the panel to finish."

"I already missed one of them, there's no need to miss the other for no reason." He stated plainly, as he really wanted to go.

"I just think it would be more time effective…"

"I wouldn't know what kinds of fabrics to get anyway. It's better if you came with me so I don't get the wrong thing." His tone made it hard to determine if he was being truthful or not. Misaki inferred that he was just being needy, and that this was a ploy to spend more time with her. While he wasn't as blatant about his intentions as his brother was, she knew how the Usamis thought and could read their hidden meanings.

"Alright, after the panel we'll go."

He fell silent then, as if he were thinking hard about something. "Also, I have something planned for us later tonight, if you have the energy for it."

Upon hearing that, she hesitated. It sort of sounded like he was prepositioning her for something naughty, and she wasn't really up for something like that. Though, she was growing increasingly aware of her own sexual need, and even though it was little more than a dull roar right now, she knew that she'd be craving attention after a while. It was all Usagi's fault! He made her into a pervert! Though, she'd never admit that to anyone, especially her pervert of a boyfriend. "What kind of thing?"

There was a silence between them as he turned away. "You'll see." He said ominously, but made no move to elaborate further.

In response, Misaki just rolled her eyes. She'd go along with whatever he was scheming as long as it wasn't too far out of her comfort zone. "Alright, but I get to decide when it's over, and if I even go along with whatever it is you're planning."

"Acceptable." He said with a nod.

After some minor preparation, Misaki was ready for her final day. Haruhiko seemed a little more excited than usual too, despite that not being much. They didn't talk much on their way there, as Misaki was starting to feel nervous again and Haruhiko didn't want to aggravate that.

Her final day went decently well, as far as she was concerned. She got to answer some questions, promote her upcoming book, discuss some of her inspirations. It went by without a problem, and by the end of it they got introduced to some of the new writers that would work for the company.

At the end of the day, she was assigned a mangaka, one of the newly hired recruits to take under wing and guide. It was a little strange, since Misaki was an author, but since they were both going to specialize in girl's love, it seemed like a good fit. The new recruit was named Ikumi, and they only got to talk a little before everyone went home. It seemed like they'd get along, Ikumi was already a fan of Misaki's work, and ran a few ideas by her. It was almost surreal, Misaki never thought she'd be a mentor to anyone.

I'm a mentor? No, more like a coach, or maybe a teacher? No, that doesn't seem right either.

Her face became alight with delight. Haruhiko appeared shortly after to collect her, and immediately noticed her mood. "I take it things went your way?"

"Well, I didn't expect they'd assign a mangaka to work directly under me, but I'm really excited! Next week we're going to discuss plots and characters, she's going to show me some of her drawings…"

"That sounds good." Misaki could have sworn that his mouth curled up for a fraction of a second, but she wasn't sure if it was just a figment of her imagination. "But anyway, let's get going."

"Yeah." She said with a jovial nod. Despite what she thought earlier, she wasn't tired at all. In fact, her mood was flying so high that she was actually feeling a pang of excitement for whatever dubious thing Haruhiko had planned.


	22. Chapter 22

On the car ride home, Misaki sighed happily upon reflection of everything that happened recently. While her immediate obligations were over, she still had to focus on her novel. After what she'd been through that week, she had a bit of catching up to do, but she wasn't worried. Her motivation to achieve to the best of her ability was near its peak, so even with the setbacks, she could catch up pretty quickly. That was, if Haruhiko didn't try to distract her too much. Her mind wandered until they pulled into the fabric shop parking lot. That had completely slipped her mind, but now that she was here, she seemed pleased.

They both got out of the car, Haruhiko exited second and followed her inside. He wasn't exactly sure what they were looking for, so he just followed around as the ever eager Misaki looked around at the different fabrics and accessories and threads. She asked a few of the employees questions about the different ribbons and dyes available, eventually settling on a set. The whole time Haruhiko said nothing, just observed. He did pay attention to the questions she asked and the things she showed interest in, just in case it might come in handy later.

Once they got back in the car, Haruhiko started talking. "Are you still feeling well enough to go out somewhere tonight?"

"Yes actually. I'm feeling fantastic." She looked at him with a mischievous grin. "So, what kind of thing do you have planned for us? Something good I hope."

"Maybe, I don't know if you'll like it or not." He said ominously.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"…You'll see when we get there." He said, equally ominously.

Despite all the secrecy going on, Misaki was rather pleased and intrigued. She didn't know if Haruhiko was planning something romantic, or naughty, or even something innocuous, but she was interested. If she ended up not being impressed with whatever he schemed up, she could always decline it. "Well, alright, I won't press you on it. I'm raising up my expectations though, so you better not disappoint me!"

He said nothing in response, as if he were contemplating something. Though, he refused to look at her and pretended to focus all of his attention on driving. After a few long seconds, he spoke again. "Do you mind if we go straight there, or do you want to rest first?"

"I'm fine with whatever." She said noncommittally.

"Then we will go there right now." He said decisively.

"Well, if that's what you want." Misaki said with a shrug. For the rest of the ride, they didn't engage in much banter. Neither of them seemed to want to say much after that.

Eventually they came to a rather large looking building in the shape of a castle. Misaki was pretty impressed with it, and Haruhiko gestured for her to get out.

"This is your surprise?" she asked, still a little confused as to what they were doing here.

"Yeah, we're going to try out ballroom dancing." He said without looking at her.

"Oh." She blushed, as such a thing seemed awfully romantic, especially for a pair of friends. Still though, she was intrigued, so she'd go along with it. "Am I going dressed like this?"

"Well, the staff in there will get you situated. They've got many a costume for rent, so you'll get to choose from one of those."

"Sounds, good…" Really she thought it was a little embarrassing, and wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not. It just seemed too romantic. Maybe she'd try to overlook the obvious romantic connotations and just roll with it.

Inside was just as large and extravagant as she expected, and the interior looked very much like they were trying to recreate a fairy tale. "Woah." She said meekly, in a tone so low she hoped Haruhiko didn't hear it.

Haruhiko signed in, providing the tickets he had. Whoever was running this okayed him and they both entered the grand hall. "Go over to the pink rooms, they'll get you fitted there. I'll meet you out here when you're done."

"Okay."

Once she made it to the pink rooms, she was immediately rushed by the otherwise bored and disinterested staff. They did some quick measurements, and soon after she was hustled into a changing room with a bright yellow dress. These event coordinators were really on top of things, as they were able to secure a dress that was exactly her size. She was impressed and a little wary, but still motivated enough to give this a shot. So she made a real effort to get the dress on a wear it perfectly, making sure that every part of it was secured. She nodded to herself, pleased with how she looked.

Just before she came out of the room, she wondered how her boyfriend would act in a situation like this. Would he go for something romantic like this, or would he pass on it in favor of something simple? Misaki rationed that he wouldn't want to do something like this because it took too much effort. That made her chuckle, but she didn't want to keep Haruhiko waiting too long, so she hustled out.

The main hall was largely vacant, Misaki assumed because this was an expensive or exclusive ordeal, and probably not open to everyone. The thought of that made her blush, and she looked around for Haruhiko so she wouldn't feel so out of place. He was standing at the other side of the ballroom, and approached slowly. In his current attire, he looked very much like a prince.

He took her hand then, and instructed her on how to properly step. It was surprisingly easy to master, and before long they could do it without thinking too hard about it, and Misaki was able to get lost in the moment. They had most of the hall to themselves, it made the experience all the better.

Time passed quickly, and before long it was late. Night had already fallen. Once they'd had enough, Misaki and Haruhiko changed back into their own clothes and proceeded to exit the building. Misaki blushed, and despite everything, Haruhiko kept his gaze away from her. Their car ride home was slightly awkward, but Misaki's heart was fluttering anyway. She knew that she probably shouldn't have done that with Haruhiko, it was sexual sure, but she knew Usagi wouldn't approve. She also couldn't deny that something romantic like this was having a profound effect on her opinion of him. It wasn't like she hated him to begin with, but the more time she spent with him, the more she wondered about what it would be like to live with him full time. Once these thoughts entered her mind, she immediately thought about Usagi. Being away from him while being in the presence of Haruhiko was definitely colouring her opinion, she had to remain logical. She wasn't going to let the here and now cancel out her entire history with her boyfriend.

They arrived home, for some reason Haruhiko had taken her hand on the way in. There was a silence that hung between them then, but it was a good silence. They both appeared to be happy with what happened, but they didn't really know how to proceed.

He looked at her, then cast his gaze away as if he were contemplating something. Spontaneously he raised Misaki's hand and kissed it, then looked up as if to see what expression she was wearing. While she was surprised, she didn't seem at all offended. With a blush, she said, "um, I had a good time, you were really great."

That response seemed to be better than what he expected. "I'm glad I could show you a good time." He turned away slightly, as if to obscure his face. It wasn't a very well thought out attempt, she could see his expression clearly. "Well, good night." He said, with a slight smile on his face. At that he returned to his room for the night. Misaki was able to pick up on because she'd been around him so much, that tiny innocuous grin would easily be missed by someone who didn't know Haruhiko's face well. Still, it was enough to make Misaki happy, so she took a seat on the couch and started writing again. Sure her happy mood was running counter to the situation in her novel, but that never stopped her before.

She was lost in thought while writing her latest chapter, until the sound of her cell phone receiving a text chimed. At that, she checked her messages, expecting to hear the latest whiny rant from her boyfriend, but instead got a message from her old friend Shinobu. They hadn't talked in a while, and Shinobu had mentioned that she heard about Misaki getting featured in a periodical, thanks to Miyagi hearing it from Kamijou who just happened to be up on all kinds of literary happenings. Shinobu asked if Misaki wanted to catch up over coffee or something later, to which Misaki agreed to in a nondescript manner. As of now she didn't know when she'd be able to make time for Shinobu, but she would definitely like to see her soon.


	23. Chapter 23

Misaki ended up meeting with Shinobu the next day. As soon as Haruhiko was awake, she asked him if he was busy and if he was willing to drive her around. He appeared to be in such a good mood that he agreed to it. He didn't even bother prying too much, but he did ask some simple questions. The first was a general inquiry about what she was planning, and the second was how long she'd be. She just said she was meeting up with an old friend of hers, and that she'd call when their encounter was over. Misaki was astounded that Haruhiko didn't press the issue beyond that.

They drove in relative silence, only engaging in general banter here and there. Haruhiko dropped off Misaki, noting that Shinobu was already there. He bid a general farewell and drove off then.

Misaki approached and sat at the table of the café with her old friend. Shinobu appeared to be in a bad mood. "Hello, it's been a while." Misaki said.

"Yeah I know. Congratulations on becoming an acclaimed author by the way."

"Thanks." She said, they engaged in general pleasantries, until the conversation came around to their personal lives.

"How's Miyagi? Are you two still together?"

"I suppose." She replied bitterly. "Getting him to pay any attention to me is so tiring. I have to remind him every day that I exist but he just seems to brush me off for whatever's on his mind in the moment." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she ran through the last few weeks of their relationship. Sure there were a few good times, recently they'd been overshadowed by his disinterest.

"Huh, sounds rough."

"What about you? Still unlucky in love?"

Misaki laughed nervously and wondered if she should disclose her exploits or not. As far as she knew, Shinobu wasn't really caught up on her relationship with Usagi, and she herself wasn't exactly sure where she stood with Haruhiko. Perhaps confiding in someone would help her sort out her own feelings? Maybe she'd test the water a little. "I wouldn't say that, I'm in a committed relationship with Akihiko Usami." She paused then, to note Shinobu's reaction. Normally when she mentioned her affiliation with such a well known literary figure, people reacted with shock or disbelief. Shinobu appeared completely unfazed by that, and she continued. "Um, though, I don't know lately. I kind of feel weird. Can you keep a secret?"

Shinobu raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Of course." She said, leaning in. Even if she might share this with Miyagi later, she'd say she'd keep quiet just to hear the potentially juicy story.

"Well, um, I've been staying with his brother for the past couple of days…"

"Staying?"

"We sleep in separate rooms." Misaki was quick to correct. She wasn't going to mention that they already slept together once, that was definitely on a need to know basis. "But I do know that he loves me too. He's not secretive about it. I like him a lot, I'm not sure what I should do. Like, should I keep him close as a friend, or should I just drop him outright?"

"Hmm." Shinobu pondered. "How far have you gone already? Hand holding, kissing, more perhaps? Have you had a sexy dream about him? Are you writing steamy novels about him with the name changed?" She spoke in such a flat tone that it seemed more like she was reading off a grocery list than inquiring about scandalous potential affairs.

"Um, well…" Misaki blushed deeply, trying to think of what details to disclose. "We have held hands, he's kissed the back of my hand a few times…"

"And?"

"That's about it haha. He has claimed that he loved me before. I'm not sure if he's exaggerating or what, but he seemed pretty staunch on his position. But according to my boyfriend, he always used to steal his things in the past, so I don't know if that's the reason he's after me now."

"Hmm." Shinobu appeared to be contemplating the information she just received. "I guess if you've strung him along this far and he still insists that he loves you, he's probably telling the truth. But then again, you can't just leave your boyfriend hanging." She tapped her fingers on the table and it was unclear if she was thinking of a serious answer or not. "I say you play the field, see which of them you like better, and come to a decision once you have all the facts. And hey, if you can't pick, you could always have both of them right? I mean, one of them already knows about the other right? I say you ease the other one into it, and there you go, two boyfriends." Shinobu's expression was one of bitterness, and Misaki inferred that she was coming from a position of not getting enough attention from the one boyfriend she had.

"Would you really want to do that though?"

"Hmm, as of now I'm not sure." She replied with a dismissive tone. "I don't even have the full attention of one man, let alone two. I don't know what you're complaining about."

Misaki chuckled. While she wasn't going to take advice from Shinobu's bitterness seriously, she would think about the nature of her relationships. "I guess I didn't let you know, my boyfriend is the jealous type, like, way beyond anything you've ever seen. I've got a name in my phone, 'Akira from work,' and it's been eating him up just knowing that there's another man's name in my phone." She took out her phone then, and scrolled back to his rant about Akira that he sent her the other day. "Look, this is just from seeing a name in my phone." At that she slid the phone to Shinobu, who took a look. Once she was done, she slid the phone back.

"I wonder if I can make Miyagi jealous the same way." She said under her breath. "Anyway, if this is how he gets just seeing a name, then will he get dangerous if he finds out what you're actually doing? Like, he's not going to get violent with you is he?"

"I don't think he'd get violent." Misaki hadn't considered that a possibility, but now that it was brought to her attention, she wasn't sure what he was capable of. She already knew he was way stronger than her, and if he did mean her harm, there wasn't anything she could do about it. Though, she couldn't imagine Usagi getting violent with her out of anger. He'd been a little rough in the past, but that was usually because he was horny. She couldn't recall a time he was violent or malicious with her in a way that made her genuinely fear for her safety. Then again, she'd never been genuinely cheating on him before. "I think if he were to get violent, it would be against the man I was with, probably not against me though."

"Well in that case, as long as the other guy knows this, I'd say keep playing the field and hope they never run into each other. And be grateful that you have two guys who want you when some people barely have one."

"Shinobu, is it really that bad?"

"Honestly, I can't get him to put his books down for five minutes. I can cook him dinner and he just says 'lay it on my desk and I'll eat it when I get the chance.' I can offer to rub his shoulders and he just says 'no thanks, I'm fine.' I can literally show up naked in his study and he doesn't even look up. Seriously…"

"That bad huh?" That did sound pretty bad, even if it was the opposite of what Misaki was used to. She wondered if Usagi would ever become distant because of work, and then abruptly shook her head. He was far too lazy to ever do that, and of course if Misaki ever appeared before him naked, or even just partially dressed, she knew he'd drop everything in an instant. Thinking about that made her feel guilty for going behind his back like she had. He'd never do that to her, she knew this for a fact, and yet she was feeling conflicted on doing it to him. She was left feeling strange and disappointed in herself for doing this. "Well, maybe he's just really busy with work. Has this been going on for long?"

"It's been going on for months." She said finally. "I could understand if this was going on during exam period, but I can't imagine him being so consistently busy for months at a time."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to work something out. Um, make force his attention and tell him how you feel?"

Shinobu turned away, looking disheartened. "I suppose I'm left with no other options."

"I don't think he's lost interest in you, he's probably just stressed about something."

"It's hard to stay optimistic, but I guess I'll try." She said finally.

They ended up chatting idly for a few hours, and then both went their separate ways. Misaki was picked up by Haruhiko, but she didn't let him know what she and Shinobu discussed.


	24. Chapter 24

Upon returning to the house, Misaki got to work making a plushie for Haruhiko. Admittedly, she felt a little narcissistic making a plushie in her likeness, but that's what Haruhiko asked for, so that's what he'd get. As of now, he didn't know if that was what she was up to, he just observed generally.

She already knew how she'd go about making it, first she'd cut two equally sized bases, then she'd fashion the limbs in a similar manner, cutting two pairs of arms and legs, and finally she'd cut two separate circles, one skin tone, one brown for her hair, and sew that to the top of her base for the head. She'd attach her limbs and her head after the base was sewn, stuffing each piece individually before attaching it. She'd draw on her face, then stitch over it. She was still debating on the method of attaching her hair, she was torn between sewing on individual strands of brown yarn, or if she wanted to make it one unified thing with fabric. Perhaps she'd cross that bridge when she arrived there. If she couldn't decide, she'd just ask Haruhiko for his input since it was for him anyway.

Haruhiko was nearby, watching her work. If he approached she immediately became hostile and told him to stop snooping until she was finished. Naturally he wanted to get up close while she worked, but he would wait patiently as not to agitate her.

Though, once she started making some actual progress, she started asking Haruhiko his preferences for the doll she was making. It seemed a little strange to ask a grown man what kind of doll he wanted though. "Do you think I should sew the dress right on to her, or should I just make the dress removable with buttons?"

"I think it would be better if the dress was removable." He said right away, then continued. "I mean, just in case you wanted to have a complete wardrobe."

"It's your call." She said as she cut the fabric and drew on where the buttons would eventually go. "Do you think I should make the hair out of fabric, or should I use wool?"

"I think the wool would be a more accurate representation of hair."

"Alright." She made note of that as she continued to work. He continued to watch, occasionally looking around as not to come off as creepy. It wouldn't have mattered either way, she was so focussed that she hardly noticed his eyes on her.

After working for what seemed like hours, Haruhiko made her a meal and she took a break. Though, she was still determined to finish up the doll that night and be done with it. Working on it any longer would just seem too weird for some reason, so whatever was done today would be the finished product whether or not it was good. Quickly, she finished up the modest meal and thanked him, then got back to work. Her determination was endearing, Haruhiko thought.

By the time she was done, it was already dark. She sighed and looked up with pride, wondering if her efforts were worth it.

"What do you think?" She said happily, pleased with her work. She had made an army of teddy bears and rabbits in the past, but this was the first time she had made a human doll. Despite this being her first time, she was impressed with herself, and how well her doll turned out. It was just like an adorable chibi version of herself with a bright, cartoonish smile. As a kid's toy, it would definitely be a welcome addition to a little girl's collection. Though, as a token for an adult male, it seemed a little out of place. It was what he asked of her though, so even if it seemed strange to her, she'd go along with it.

He took it from her and looked at the doll with a fierce intensity. Eventually he gave a nod and turned his attention back to Misaki. "It's perfect. Thank you." The doll was only slightly bigger than his hand. It fit nicely in his palm, and was a little flat with not a lot of dimension. Essentially it was a well made rag doll in her likeness, well made but still a little rough looking. The two dimensional nature of the doll gave it character though, and it wouldn't take serious scrutiny to see the likeness. Misaki may not have called it perfect, but was still pleased to hear the compliment.

"Perfect, you say-" She blushed at his flattery. It was unclear if he was exaggerating or not, but she was still flattered to hear him say such a thing to her. "Well, I'm glad you like it. Um, are you sure it's a suitable gift though?"

"It's perfect." He reaffirmed. His tone was so decisive that she wouldn't question him about it again. "I get to keep this right?"

"Uh, yeah, I made it for you. I'm not going to take it back."

"Hmm." He stuffed it into his pocket then, looked fairly pleased with the gift. "I'll treat you to something later for your generosity. Anything you want. Just name it."

"You don't have to do that." She replied modestly, unsure if he was going overboard or not. "I don't need to be rewarded, it wasn't that hard to make." For some reason she was oddly flattered at his insistence on paying her back. Normally when she did things for Usagi, it either went completely unnoticed, or he thanked her marginally and that was the end of it. That never bothered her, as she just thought that was average behavior.

"I insist."

"Um, okay." She thought about it then, and wondered what kind of thing she could ask for that wouldn't be too much trouble for him. She would have been fine to just offer it up and let it be, but since he insisted, she'd go along with it. "How about we go to the park later on? If it's not too much trouble, and if you want to."

"Hmm, if that is what you desire." His expression said he was largely indifferent to that suggestion. Since he had no obvious objections, she'd go with that. "I will secure a place for us, is there any particular park you want to visit?"

"Not really, any is fine with me."

"Alright, I'll see which locations are near and which provide the most attractions."

"Thanks, but you really don't have to do that."

"It's alright, I want to."

They seemed to fall silent then, with Misaki looking away and Haruhiko focussing on the doll. It was a little awkward as neither of them knew what to say after that, so they just let the silence hang between them for a moment. Though, the silence was permeated by a yawn from the author. It was only now that she realised how tired she was.

"Anyway, I'd better get to bed. I might not have done much, but it still felt like a really long day."

"I should probably go to sleep as well." He said, casting his gaze aside. "Well, good night." He didn't make any move to enter his room, instead he cast his gaze to the side and took a seat on the couch.

"Yeah, good night." She said, collecting her laptop and bringing it to her room. She didn't know if Haruhiko went directly to his room or if he stayed around in the common room for a little while longer, she only knew she was tired after a long day and was ready to turn in.

Just as she was getting into bed, she started to really think about what Shinobu said to her earlier. It was starting to weigh heavily on her mind. She knew she shouldn't be indulging such ideas, but now that the idea had been put there, it was impossible to ignore. She'd try her hardest to put those thoughts to rest, but she knew it would be difficult. She couldn't let herself mess up again. Though, once she started to reflect on her recent actions, she couldn't deny that she was getting closer to Haruhiko whether or not she liked it. She realised that she only suggested that they go to the park because she always found that to be romantic. At the time she thought she suggested it because it was the first thing to enter her mind. Upon inspection, she realised that it was the first thing to enter her mind because she subconsciously wanted to do something romantic with Haruhiko. Realising this made her both confused and angry, and she wondered if she should suggest something else for them to do. Either way, she'd have to make sure she didn't fall victim to her desires like she did already. Once was bad enough, she didn't want to betray her boyfriend twice.

These thoughts continued to invade her mind as she fell asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

_Misaki appeared to be in her room, her laptop was off to the side with something incomprehensible written on it. She didn't know what she was trying to write, all she knew was that she was extremely lonely. She sighed and closed her laptop, feeling too forlorn to write about matters of the heart._

 _"Misaki." A steamy voice called to her. She looked up to see Usagi staring her down with his usual predatory look. He was still dressed professionally, but his tie was undone and he looked slightly dishevelled. Either way, he looked absolutely delicious and she wasn't going to pretend she didn't want him. Her usual tsundere attitude took a back seat to her overwhelming desires._

 _She stood and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Welcome back." She said happily, pressed her suddenly ample breasts against him. In her excitement to greet her lover, she apparently failed to notice that her breasts appeared to have gone from a B to a double D somehow._

 _"I missed you." He said while stroking her hair. "And right now I want you so badly." He took his tie off, and then scooped up his lover and carried her to bed. She was placed on the sheets face up with her legs splayed open. Her skirt fell haphazardly around her belly and gave Usagi a great view of her already dampened sheer panties. He loomed over her and slowly began undoing the buttons on her blouse. He didn't manage to get far before running out of patience and tearing it off. Buttons flew every which way but neither of them seemed to care. Usagi was more interested in the matching transparent bra and panties that concealed nothing. He licked his lips and then leaned down to capture hers in a passionate kiss. Misaki wasn't resisting, and while her tongue was busy indulging his, her hands were busy stripping him of his shirt._

 _He pulled back once his shirt came off, his viciously lustful gaze now fixed on her barely covered breasts. He expertly unclasped that annoying garment and let her breast fall freely. "Touch them." She demanded shyly, while wiggling mischievously. Her ample chest bounced playfully with her movements, begging for his touch. His lips latched onto that pert nub and his tongue massaged it. He grabbed the other so it wouldn't feel lonely and groped and kneaded the supple flesh. She moaned and sighed at his teasing, eventually growing impatient. Her hips moved forward and ground against him as if she couldn't control herself. Her body needed him._

 _Usagi raised his head long enough to kiss her while he lowered his hips. The hand not preoccupied with kneading and massaging her breast reached down and hauled off her already soaked panties. After that he made quick work of his own pants and stripped her of her skirt._

 _She moaned as the tip of his finger teased her. "Yes, it feels good." Her resolve was slowly slipping, and she added her own finger alongside his. He smiled, and they ended up sweetly making out while their fingers moved inside her. When their lips parted, she stared him down and said in a longing voice, "please take me now."_

 _"Of course my love." He said. He kissed her one last time before sitting up and hauling her onto his lap. She could feel the heat of his hard cock against her drenched pussy and moaned with lusty delight. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lazily kissed his neck._

 _"What's going on here?" A stern voice rang out. A startled Misaki turned to see Haruhiko standing beside the bed, naked with his arms folded. His expression was one of slight annoyance, but it was easy to see that he was just as aroused as his brother. "I love you more than this lazy, incompetent, over-grown child. I can please you better than him."_

 _"Get out of here Haruhiko! Misaki is mine and you can't have her!"_

 _"You're just scared because you know I can treat her better."_

 _Misaki was shocked at how nonchalant everyone was about the whole situation. She would have thought Usagi would have been furious if his brother (or anyone) walked in on them being intimate, and yet here he only appeared mildly annoyed. Though, Haruhiko was taking this pretty well too. He kept his unusually calm and flat tone throughout everything he said, and appeared to be stating the facts as he saw them. She was too dumbfounded by the scenario to even be crushed by embarrassment like she normally would._

 _Eventually Usagi sighed. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. We'll just have to see who can please her more._

_"You're right."_

 _Misaki's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she heard._

 _Haruhiko joined them on the bed, and Misaki turned around on Usagi lap so that she was facing him, but she kept her boyfriend's cock pressed against her entrance. He slipped his hot erection slowly inside her while Haruhiko seized her chin and pulled her into a kiss. Usagi growled and grabbed her hips and forced her to take him inside faster. Haruhiko grabbed both of her breasts and teased them relentlessly as Usagi pressed himself fully inside her. "Mmm, yes!"_

 _Her nipples were mercilessly pinched and licked by the older Usami while the younger pounded her with all the force of his jealousy. "Yes! Yes! Usagi! Amazing!" With every thrust she was forced closer to Haruhiko. She suddenly realised how unfair it was for him and pushed against him until he was lying on his back. Seconds later she leaned down to press her playfully bouncing breasts against his chest. She gripped the sheets and adjusted to the new position, Usagi didn't seem to mind. Teeth sunk into his skin among soft kisses placed along his torso. Usagi panted behind her, his reckless rocking causing her body to rub against his brother._

 _"Misaki." The older said longingly._

 _"Mmm, un, relax." She purred, seductively despite her erratic breath and unhinged moans. He shifted his hips back then, and her lips wrapped around his cock while the vibrations in her throat reverberated around him._

 _He sighed in deep pleasure, watching as the hard rocking of his brother's hips forced her to take in more of his cock. He was balls deep inside and she loved every second of it._

 _Akihiko growled and slapped her ass. "You're being a bad girl, pleasuring my enemy like that. I'm going to have to punish you." The sound of slapping rang out throughout the room. Misaki moaned and purred around Haruhiko's cock, which only served to make her boyfriend more jealous. "You keep this up and I'll spank you harder. But you'd like that, wouldn't you?"_

 _She couldn't nod in agreement, but he already knew what she was thinking. Her ass was already red but she loved the feel of his powerful hands on her. If her mouth wasn't full she'd be begging him for more. She forced her hips against his, bringing him in deeper, loving every second of it. She forced herself on him again and again, wailing shamelessly against Haruhiko as Usagi's cock deliciously stimulated her clit. Her eyes clouded with pleasure, she was driven entirely by her carnal desire. Usagi could only grit his teeth and sigh as she used his body as she pleased._

 _"Mmm! Mmm!" She was lost to her desire. Her body arched up, and Haruhiko's cock was dropped from her mouth. Cum poured inside her and they rode out their orgasm together. Haruhiko was left unsatisfied, but he'd get his turn soon._

 _They took a few seconds to catch their breaths. "How are you feeling Misaki?" Usagi asked, cuddling her all the while._

 _"I'm great, It was wonderful."_

 _The younger Usami glared at his brother with a triumphant grin. "I told you I could please her better than you could."_

 _"I haven't had a turn yet. We'll see who the better of us is." At that he grabbed Misaki and hauled her onto his lap. She immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they started making out._

 _"You're always taking my things. I won't let you take Misaki!" he growled._

 _"I don't think it's up to you." Haurhiko stated, then immediately went back to kissing Misaki. Usagi scoffed at the display, but for some reason was waiting patiently as this went on._

 _They laid out together, with Misaki laying on Haruhiko's chest. She ran her hands over the tight muscles on his chest and kissed his neck while Haruhiko groped her ass. Usagi got jealous and slapped his brother's hands away. He spread her with his own hands and stuck his tongue inside her. She moaned and bit down on Haruhiko's collarbone._

 _"Haruhiko, un, please."_

 _The older Usami kissed her cheek thrust his hips up, enough to knock his brother's tongue out of her. She slid up and took the entire length inside her._

 _"Haruhiko! Un, yes!" Her pussy swallowed up his cock hungrily. He pounded her roughly and without finesse, both of them couldn't contain their moans. Naturally Usagi's jealousy flared and he moved up behind her, wrapping his arms around and her grabbing her breasts while he kissed her neck._

 _"Always stealing my things." Usagi growled. He moved close, and pressed his erection her back. He held his position and let himself rub against her back while his brother forced her on him._

 _She felt something hot and hard poking at her backside. "As if I'd let you have all the fun." The younger brother said condescendingly._

 _"Mmm Yes, yes!" The thought of him entering her excited her, she wanted to feel both of the Usamis at the same time. "Enter me Usagi, and don't stop Haruhiko!"_

 _She jolted up at the sudden intrusion, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was a dream, so it felt good. She'd never tried anything like this in real life, so her brain just registered pleasure._

 _"Usagi, un, Haruhiko."_

 _The awkward angle made it hard for her to accommodate both of them, their erratic rhythms worked against each other. "OH god, yes! More! More!"_

 _"Misaki." They growled, trying to outdo each other. It couldn't last much longer though, as they were at their limit._

 _"Ah! Nnnng!" she felt herself being filled with their seed. Both brothers pulled out and they collapsed._

 _Seed flowed out of her as they laid out together. Both brothers breathed heavily along with Misaki, as they came to their senses, realising what just happened between them. Still, Misaki was smiling, and completely okay with what just happened. At least she was in this dream. They pulled away then, and stared her down. She looked up loftily at them and smiled, already knowing what they were thinking._

 _"So, which of us do you like better?" Usagi said finally._

 _"I can't choose, you're both amazing." Misaki said loftily. Everyone seemed okay with that answer and they all cuddled together._

 _As the three of them were lying there in the afterglow of their love making, a voice permeated the silence. "Hey guys! Mind if I join in?"_

 _They all looked up to see Ijuuin, wearing a warm smile (and nothing else) and waving hello._

 _"Uh, sure, come in." Misaki said._

She woke, undeniably aroused and a little terrified that her mind could conjure up such a scandalous fantasy. Her panties were soaked and her pussy burned with desire. Slightly horrified, she got up and made her way to the bathroom, maybe she could quell her thoughts by splashing some water on her face.


	26. Chapter 26

Haruhiko was having trouble falling asleep, there was too much on his mind. Most notably, he was finding it harder and harder to reconcile his attraction to Misaki. He knew he made a deal with her, that if she spent the week with him and still rejected him, then he'd leave her alone. Yet, he was finding it more and more difficult to realistically hold up his end of the bargain. The more time he spent with her, the more he realised he loved her.

Right now he was at a loss, feeling helpless in his situation. He knew that if he came on too strong he'd drive her away, but it didn't seem like he was making any progress either. Perhaps there was no way to get her to love him, maybe he'd have to cut his losses and move on.

Yet, he knew he couldn't do that. He had already become too enraptured by Misaki.

Naturally he was also feeling terrible about coming in second to his brother yet again. He knew that he was infringing on his brother's relationship, but he didn't care about that. As far as he was concerned, his brother was too selfish and incompetent to be an effective boyfriend for her. He knew he could do a better job, he was more diligent, he could help her with the house work, he would encourage her to further her career. There was no way she'd be better off with his brother. Yet, he wasn't about to kidnap her and stick her in a dungeon or anything, even if he had entertained the idea in jest a few times. Apparently the things he had read in romance novels were a crock, and they didn't actually work in the real world.

He tried to put such aggravating thoughts out of his head. Instead, his mind wandered back to some of his more, impure thoughts. He swore he would try his hardest to keep those kinds of thoughts out of his head for the duration of the week, but he was weak and gave in. His fantasies were nothing special, they were usually so simple they bordered on juvenile. All he did was fantasise about Misaki accepting his feelings and then living happily ever after with him. A few jabs directed at his brother weaseled their way in, but mostly he focussed on being with Misaki, forming a family, snuggling…

After that his mind conjured up a sexy by his standards scenario . Misaki confessed her undying love for him, and they kissed and took their clothes off, and maybe they went further.

Haruhiko sighed, he didn't know much about romance, all of his experience came from romance novels that he picked up just for research purposes. The one time he'd ever had sex was with Misaki that time, so he wasn't experienced by any means. Now though, he was feeling a spike in his libido and he could deny it no longer.

He took out the picture he had taken of her the other day from the nightstand near his bed, and placed it in front of him. It wasn't even a sexualized picture, but it was all he needed. If it were any more explicit, he may have been too ashamed to make use of it. He was conflicted, but he made up his mind to take out his sexual frustrations.

He was fairly certain that Misaki had already fallen asleep, so he proceeded with his plan. The next thing he did was take the doll out of his pocket, and place it next to the picture. Then he unzipped his pants, just enough to take out his mostly limp cock. He didn't have much experience doing this, but he knew enough to get himself off. So he stared at the picture of her, working himself up.

It felt wrong somehow, but he knew doing this wouldn't hurt anyone. She wouldn't have to know, so she wouldn't be hurt or distressed by it. He debated whether or not he should go through with this as he unbuttoned the tiny buttons on the dress, and hesitated as he looked at the flat and naked representation of Misaki before him. Naturally it wasn`t a true to life doll, her body had no definition at all and was completely flat. He hesitated further, but realised he couldn`t fight his feelings anymore.

He placed the doll in his palm, stretching out the arms and legs. Then he wrapped the doll, still in his palm, around semi-hardened cock. He squeezed then, to make sure he could get a decent grip on himself. He took the picture in his other hand and held it close to his face. He cleared his mind then, of anything not related to Misaki. Her voice echoed in his ears, he envisioned her saying the usual mundane things she usually said. Stretching his imagination, he moved on to fantasising her saying sweet words to him, declaring her love, swearing to stay with him forever. He grinned, but only slightly.

"Mmm, Misaki."

His hand moved slowly at first, as if to test how it would feel against him with a doll in between. In the past he didn't have any need for masturbation. He'd just never had the drive for it. Lately though, the closer he got to Misaki, the more he felt his dormant desires bubbling to the surface. If he just did this, maybe he'd be able to get through the rest of the week.

He fantasized about Misaki, closing his eyes and imagining her touching him like this. "Misaki…" Though, his inexperience meant he couldn't get too creative with the scenario. He basically reran his encounter with her in his head, fantasising about that happening again. He sighed, moaned softly, and bit his lip. Occasionally he'd utter her name, only to pause and look around to make sure he wasn't being watched. Eventually he stopped worrying and gave up looking around. Instead he focussed on getting himself off so he could go to bed.

On her way to the bathroom, she just happened to hear her name, and assumed Haruhiko was just acknowledging her. She was too embarrassed by her dream to answer him, but she did hesitate, wondering if he'd call to her again.

A few seconds later, and she heard a moan, and some panting, and another utterance of her name. She understood then what was going on. His breathy sighs with the occasional utterance of her name stirred up all kinds of emotions. She peeked inside, trying her hardest to keep the door cracked so he wouldn't notice her. Luckily he was too focussed on what he was doing to notice her.

She didn't expect to see Haruhiko using the doll she made him in such a way. It made her a little angry, but it was also kind of hot. She licked her lips. Watching only aggravated the arousal she already felt. She couldn't stay silent any longer, so she flung the door open. They stood for a few moments in silence, their eyes locked, both stunned into silence. Even Misaki couldn't believe what she did, but now that it happened, they were both wondering how to proceed.

Things took a shocking turn for both of them when Misaki approached. Haruhiko flinched initially, thinking she was going to smack him, or otherwise assault him. Instead of that, she grabbed the doll right out of his hand and threw it across the room. Haruhiko stared at her in disbelief, expecting her to unleash her wrath on him then, but instead she looked him right in the eye and threw herself onto his lap. He was completely at a loss as to how to proceed.

She snuggled into him then, resting her head on his chest. She seemed completely nonchalant about the cock rubbing against her, and appeared completely shameless about letting her moist panties touch his leg. He was slightly stunned, but he took the initiative to see where he could take this situation. "Misaki?"

"Mmm." She didn't respond with words, they sort of seemed unnecessary now. Instead she just wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his chest. "You know, I kind of had a sexy dream about you. I suppose it would be so bad to help each other out." She knew it wasn't right, but she found herself unable to hold back.

He swallowed hard, and started running a hand through her hair. "Is this okay?" He said, as if he couldn't believe this was even happening. It wasn't like he was opposed to it though, he just wanted to make sure this was completely consensual and that he wasn't coercing her somehow.

"Yes, it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't bring her rational side to counter her lust. Haruhiko was fully willing to help her get out her lust. She took the lead then, since he was still hesitant and unsure.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Sorry about the lemon guys, not really all that steamy because Haruhiko is too inexperienced to be too steamy.

* * *

Misaki purred as she rubbed herself against Haruhiko, who was still too stunned to do anything. Her breasts pressed against his chest as she ground her hips against his leg. His pants were still on, and his lack of initiative in getting them off annoyed her to no end. She pawed at his shirt, but eventually she threw herself off of him and grabbed his pants. They had to go, she wasn't going to wait for him to do it. She tore them off, but intentionally left his boxers on. With a mischievous grin, she ran her finger along the waistband, making sure to brush the underside of his hot cock as she hooked the underwear. She slid her finger up along his shaft before hauling off his boxers. He sighed, but watched carefully as she moved back on his lap. She stared straight into his eyes and started moving her hips against his bare leg. Her panties were still on but he could feel the moistness through them on his skin. She was only wearing a thin nightdress, and from what he could see, no bra underneath. He licked his lips and grabbed that flimsy fabric, then hauled it over her head. His suspicions were correct, she wasn't wearing a bra.

The expression on her face said she was deliciously happy about his sudden participation. Now that he was taking initiative, she ground herself against him with more ferocity, forcing her breasts to bounce before his eyes. He raised a hand and grabbed that teasing flesh, flicking his thumb over that pert nipple. "Mmm, Haruhiko." She leaned into his touch, forcing herself against his hand. "Yes Haruhiko!"

"Misaki-" He panted.

She grabbed his shirt and forced it off. The gravity of the situation finally registered in Haruhiko's mind, and he began stroking himself again. Even though she had been shamelessly grinding on him, she was a little irked that he was being so selfish. So she pushed him down, he feel helplessly onto his back. From there she turned around and faced his cock. Haruhiko was treated to the sight of Misaki's panties at eye level, but he waited to see where she was going with this. She moved up slightly and wrapped her breasts around him. He couldn't quite see what she was doing, but he could feel it. A breathy sigh escaped him, and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. She was growing a little impatient, swaying her hips and inviting him to touch her. In his inexperience, he didn't take the bait, and she was left feeling a little unsatisfied. That didn't stop her though, she squeezed her breasts against his head. Precum leaked and soaked her chest, and she rolled her breasts to thoroughly coat his cock with it. The sticky friction was driving him crazy, and he moaned her name over and over.

At that, she pulled back. Clearly she wasn't going to get any satisfaction out of this position, so she moved her body off of his and repositioned herself at the foot of the bed facing his cock. The ever eager Haruhiko raised his head curiously to see what she was doing. She grabbed him, but didn't start stroking right away. She wanted to tease him a little for being selfish earlier. She raised two fingers and made a V shape and placed them at the base of his cock.

Her two fingers raked over his flesh in a forked formation, teasing the sensitive underside of his hot, throbbing cock. He sighed, the friction wasn't as stimulating as her breasts, but he wasn't about to complain. "Misaki…"

"You don't pick up on cues easily, do you?" she said, forking the fingers on her other hand and stroking him in the opposite direction. "Well, no matter, you're going to feel good anyway." She said with a surprisingly seductive grin. While he didn't know what cues she was talking about, he was willing to listen to her demands. As good as this felt for him, he did feel guilty that he was the only one getting any pleasure from this.

She removed one of her hands then, and flicked her tongue over the tip. She could taste the precum that had come out earlier, and the heat from his throbbing member felt sexy against her tongue. Her tongue teased the space between his head and shaft, and he could do nothing but moan and sigh.

Seconds later she slid his entire length into her mouth. Her tongue massaged his flesh and her lips pressed hard against him. For some reason she remembered what Usagi liked, and applied those techniques to Haruhiko. She thought herself a little rusty on such techniques, but judging by how Haruhiko was moaning, it was working.

His fingers tangled in her hair. She knew that meant she was doing it right. She purred against him and his grip tightened. 'You like that, don't you?' She thought. His cock twitched and she forced it to the side of her cheek while teasing the base with two fingers. She pressed against the underside of his balls gently with her other hand. Her fingers teased him as she sucked the length that she managed to fit in her mouth.

"Misaki- Misaki!" His back arched, his mind went blank, and he came right into her mouth without warning. She gaged, and most of his cum dripped out of her mouth. When she caught her breath, she licked her lips and swallowed, shocking Haruhiko with just how absurdly sexy that was. He hadn't planned on finishing so quickly, but his eagerness and inexperience made him unable to hold back.

Ragged breaths escaped him as Misaki moved up so that her hips were on his chest. He may have been spent, but she wasn't going to let him off just yet. She was still consumed by her lust, and after coming this far she wasn't about to turn back. "You don't know how to use your mouth effectively, do you?" She said in a voice dripping with need.

"I-"

She didn't given him a chance to respond, she just slid up further so that she was seated on his collarbone. "Well, let's see what you can do." She said without further explanation. She turned around then, and got on all fours. Her panties were dangerously close to his face, and she wiggled her hips to entice him to start.

Haruhiko grabbed her panties and hauled them down. Even with no experience, he was determined to please her somehow. Him taking the initiative to take down her panties gave her some hope though, and she lowered her hips so that he had access to her. He reached up and pressed his tongue against her, not really knowing what to do. "Mmm, it's good." She said, grinding herself against his face.

He hesitated, but brought his tongue up to her. At first he moved his tongue slowly, with no real sense of direction. Misaki pressed her hips onto his face shameless, trying to force his tongue inside her. After another moment of hesitation, she managed to find that slit with his tongue and slip it in.

His movements were a little slow and not very proficient, it was completely different from when Akihiko used his mouth. "Be- more forceful." She said, unsure of how to articulate what she wanted.

The position made it impossible for him to reply, but he did try to carry out her orders by forcing his tongue in deeper. "Yes, you're doing good." She purred. It appeared as if he were getting the hang of things, even if he wasn't as good as what she was used to. "Keep going."

He grabbed her legs and pulled her closer, finding it a little hard to breathe. He found his rhythm soon after, licking and sucking while still able to take a breath here and there.

"Oh, Mmm, Good."

He licked and sucked at the juices that came out, not letting up for a second. She ground her hips against his face and he brushed his tongue against her clit.

"Haruhiko-"

He ran the tip of his teeth against her gently on accident. She jolted up moaned at the sudden sensation, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. "More, more!"

"Mmm." He hummed against her. She ground her hips against his tongue and closed her eyes. She fucked his face as she pleased, and he had not objections to it.

That was it, she arched up then while crying out his name. Not the best orgasm she'd ever had, but enough to sate her for now. She was ready to collapse, but she had the courtesy to lift herself off of Haruhiko and collapse next to him. They cuddled for a while, Haurhiko grinned to himself. Misaki didn't notice, as she was reflecting on what she had just done, and what could have possibly led her to being such a slave to her own lust.


	28. Chapter 28

Akihiko was fast asleep, with only minutes to go before his workshop started. He was completely dead to the world, unaware of the time. That didn't matter though, as the usually diligent Aikawa came bursting into the room. "Wake up you asshole! Do you know what time it is?!" She jumped on his bed and grabbed him by the shirt. He was awake now, but not yet ready to get out of bed. She wasn't having that. "Don't you understand that your fans and the other aspiring writers are waiting for you?! Stop being so selfish and get ready already!"

He seemed completely unfazed by her demands, and didn't even bother to open his eyes. "Mmm." He groaned, meaning that he wasn't in the mood for this. The enraged Aikawa smacked him across the face a few times, it hardly registered in his brain.

"If you don't haul your ass out of bed RIGHT NOW I'm taking your phone!"

That caught his attention enough to get him to open his eyes. "How will I contact Misaki if you take my phone?" He barely managed to say. His voice was still low and groggy, but under no circumstances would he allow his only line of contact with his lover being compromised.

In one swift motion, Aikawa grabbed his phone off the nightstand and stuffed it into her bra. "You'll get this back when you finish your work! Now GO!"

Defeated, Usagi sighed and made his way out of bed. "That's dirty Aikawa, you're using pretty underhanded tactics…"

"SHUT UP AND GET READY!"

"Fine, fine…" Somehow he hauled himself out of bed and started getting dressed. Naturally he had to look presentable and so he dressed up more than usual. Today he'd be finishing up his ongoing workshop with the fans that he somehow had. The event coordinators had given him a translated copy of one of his books, and he read it over and was fairly impressed with the translator's work. He generally gave instruction on how his followers could improve their writing, and also go over various techniques in a general sense. The last thing he wanted to do was play teacher to a bunch of yanks, but apparently it was a generously paying job that wanted to give credence to international authors, so his bosses thought it was a perfect opportunity for him. So with none of the enthusiasm, he left for work with Aikawa on his heels to make sure he didn't wander.

The event buzzing with literature nerds as usual, but Akihiko didn't pay much attention to it as he made his way through the crowds. He had his own little area designated to his fans, where he was able to go over his literary devices and explain how to use them effectively. While he was able to put up a front of enthusiasm, he couldn't possibly be more disinterested. His one track mind wouldn't let get into anything, he was too busy wondering what Misaki was up to, and if she missed him, and if she was secretly meeting with that jerk Akira.

His area had his usual band of aspiring writers, along with a few vacant spots where the stragglers were supposed to be. He wasn't going to make an issue of it though, if they wanted to show up late, he wasn't going to get offended. They could come and go as they pleased as far as he was concerned.

"Good morning." He addressed the group. "Let's pick up where we left off…" His English was good, he was never misunderstood by the people in his workshop. He led them only marginally, since most of his instruction was already given. More or less, he was now just overseeing, correcting mistakes and giving advice where it was needed. Overall, not something he cared much for. His mind was elsewhere, but he hid it so well that everyone had a high and favourable opinion of him.

As the day continued, the stragglers arrived, and people came in and out of the workshop area as they pleased. He hardly noticed, and he didn't care either way. Whenever someone arrived late, he'd just greet them and tell them to resume their work.

The outside air was musty and a little dirty with the scent of too many people in one place. In the distance Akihiko could smell the typical American convention food, various grilled meats and deep fried sides. His chest felt tight as he thought about eating that kind of thing again.

"Everyone's doing good. Keep it up." He'd say every so often, just to keep everyone motivated. He was only approached with a few questions, but otherwise it was uneventful. Time passed slowly, but he was ultra-aware of it.

"Alright everyone, lunchtime. See you in an hour." He said, eager to take a break, then despondent when he realized he didn't have his phone. His block all dispersed and he made his way to the staff lunch area.

During lunchtime, he managed to get some alone time to his relief. The other authors were surprisingly antisocial, which was good news for him. They all kept to themselves, so he didn't have to pretend to be interested in what they were up to.

Working was just as draining as it was in Japan, probably even more so considering the event had been going constantly for an entire week. He sighed, more than anything he was feeling lonely and missed Misaki. Whether he was in America or Japan, he just felt incomplete being away from her. It was probably for this reason that he had a lower opinion of this event, and the people who attended it, and the aspiring writers in his workshop. So far he had done an admirable job concealing his mood, but he didn't know how much longer he could keep that up. He might have been a little more enthusiastic if he could contact Misaki right now, but with his phone hijacked by Aikawa, he had nothing to waste his time with.

He tried lifting himself out of his doldrums by focussing on his lunch. Everything was sugar-drenched and high fat, but that was probably a good thing right now. He absently ate his burger and fries and chased it with soda, all the while speculating how many more days he could keep eating this before gaining weight. He wasn't too broken up about it though, as long as Misaki didn't care. Though, he couldn't really say he had a fondness for American food.

Once he was finished lunch, he had some time left before the workshop resumed. As far as he knew, this would be the last mandatory day he'd have to attend, and he was all too happy to shirk off the rest of his responsibilities for the remaining days. Maybe he'd write one of his more specialized interest books, in secret of course.

Luckily for him, he only had two hours left until the workshop was done for good. His enthusiasm was gone, not that it had ever been there in the first place, and he was just hoping that he could leave early and go back to Japan. At the very least, with Misaki's panel done, she could join him for the last couple of days. He'd be more than willing to pay for her to fly first class to America if she was willing, and if he was allowed to bring her there.

The final hours passed without incident. He gave a little speech at the end thanking everyone for their interest and praising everyone in a general sense. His group applauded him and thanked him for his time. He kindly bowed out and left them then, too drained to be pleased.

On the way back to the hotel, he ran into Aikawa. His disinterested eyes met hers, and she reluctantly handed back his phone. "Thanks." He mumbled, not wanting to talk past that. His energy was gone and he was looking forward to going back to bed after a chat with his lover. Without another word, he made his way back to the hotel room. She didn't press him further since she managed to keep him on task.

Although he didn't do much physically, he was completely exhausted. At least he had his phone back, so he could at least whine to Misaki like he usually did. What else was he going to do, since there wasn't really anything of interest around.

He sent her his usual whiny texts, about how he was lonely, how he missed her, how work was a boring slog and how he didn't want to do it anymore. He was especially enthusiastic about finally coming home in a few days, and was pleased that he'd see her soon. That was the only thing keeping him going through the whole thing. With nothing else to do, after he was done typing up his novel length prompt of whining and grovelling, he sent it off and waited eagerly for her response.


	29. Chapter 29

The night wasn't young by any stretch, yet it felt that way to both Misaki and Haurhiko. It felt like they should be drifting off, yet the excitement of the situation still lingered. They snuggled, listening to each other's heartbeat. For a brief moment all seemed tranquil, and it seemed like they both might drift off together. It was sudden, but Misaki was suddenly stricken with panic. This was the exact situation was she was trying to atone for, and here was basking in her own lust with her boyfriend's most hated person. Sure she could put some of the blame on Haruhiko, but really she only had herself to blame. She could have just kept walking, she could have ignored what she heard, she could have just stayed in her bed and fixed the problem herself, but she chose none of those options. Instead, she did the one thing that she shouldn't have, the worst option, further betraying the man she loved.

Haurhiko didn't seem to notice her distress, and wrapped his arms firmly around her. It seemed like that action brought her over the edge and she leapt up out of his grasp. It didn't even bother her that she was naked, she was too busy having a panic attack to care about such trivial things. Haruhiko regarded her with some confusion. He remained silent for a while, watching her panic, wondering what he should do.

"Misaki?" He said, after a while of observing her.

"I can't believe I did it again…" She mumbled. She was still trying to rationalize what happened, and trying to think of a way to atone for this incident as well as the last. There was a heavy silence between them, with Haruhiko left wondering what he should do.

She turned to him with a distressed look on her face. No, she wasn't going to blame him for this, she'd have to take responsibility. "I- I just did a terrible thing."

"…I'm sorry." He said, though not sure if that was the right thing to say or not.

"No, it's not your fault." She tried calming herself down so she could better articulate what she was feeling. Her breathing slowed, and she became more level headed. "I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have gave into my temptations, I should have stayed in bed…"

Haruhiko said nothing, but he did feel a little guilty. Not because he essentially stole his brother's girlfriend of course, he was more concerned about making Misaki feel upset for whatever reason.

"Oh no, oh no…" She could only see this as a betrayal, the second one she committed behind her lover's back. She might not have even felt so bad if her lover wasn't so jealous and possessive. He'd generally be okay with her doing whatever she wanted, even if he did get a little whiny if she wasn't paying attention to him, but the one thing she knew he hated more than anything was her giving attention to anyone else. He wasn't even the type to get mad over things too often, but when it came to her, and where her attention was, he became unusually aggressive toward whoever it was she was paying attention to. As far as he knew, she hadn't made any indication that she was romantically involved with anyone else, but that never stopped him from inferring as such. If he knew she was actually involved with someone, and his brother no less, it would destroy him. She didn't know if he'd react with anger or depression, but she did know that he would be deeply hurt by the knowledge. There was no way she could come clean now.

All the while, she thought about Haruhiko, and how he too would be hurt if she left him forever. Her loyalty should be to her boyfriend, but now that she had somehow become involved with Haurhiko, she couldn't just ignore his feelings either.

"I suppose I won't see you again after this then…" Haruhiko said despondently. He didn't even bother hiding his disappointment.

She paused, thinking about what that would mean. While she still resolved to stay with Akihiko, she couldn't imagine going back to the way it was before. She couldn't just ignore Haruhiko, and she couldn't deny that she had somehow developed feelings for him. Though, it didn't seem fair to Akihiko, as he definitely wouldn't be okay with the situation. She didn't want to break up with him, but she also didn't want to leave Haruhiko either.

"I don't know what to do. I don't want to betray Usagi-san, but…" She didn't know how to finish that sentence. It would just seem wrong somehow, to cast Haruhiko aside, but she wasn't yet sure if she wanted to accept him. The situation was just too complicated, and she was too tired to come to a proper conclusion to it right now. "I don't want to lose you either."

He raised an eyebrow, obviously shocked to hear such a thing from her. Though, he was happy, and he'd definitely do his best to make her happy in whatever she chose. "When this is all over, I won't bother you again. I'll give you the space you need." As much as he didn't want to say that, he didn't think imposing himself on her right now was the best option. Even if he had to distance himself from her for a while, he'd likely think of something to keep her close. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he had to go back to being alone.

"But, I don't know. I wouldn't want to cut you off. But with your brother around, there's no way I could ever spend time with you."

"It's okay. I don't want to cause you trouble. If you would be better off without me, I'll leave you alone." He too was starting to feel despondent saying that, but he did want her to be happy. It put him in a tight spot and he felt pressured. Still, above all else, he decided to do what would be the most convenient for her. He'd have to put his feelings aside, no matter how painful, to ensure that she could live the best life she could.

"Haruhiko-" Upon hearing him, and his honest plea for her happiness, she knew at that moment that she couldn't let him go either. Though, that didn't help her situation, and she was left wondering if they should work out a plan. "I made up my mind, I don't want to leave you behind, not entirely…"

He raised an eyebrow, as if trying to make sense of her words. "Are you sure?" He didn't want to force her into spending time with him, but he wouldn't be able to deny how much he'd long for her if she suddenly became absent. So he didn't want to come off as needy, or overly possessive, but he also didn't want to encourage her to leave him either. He'd have to think of her with his brother while he remained alone, and now that he had gotten this close to her, he didn't know if he could deal with that.

"I'm sure that I don't want to leave you, but I don't want to leave Usagi either…"

"You don't have to, I won't mind if we meet up occasionally while you're still with him." He was trying to sway the conversation in his favour. Even just meeting with her every so often would likely be enough, he thought.

"I'll have to think about it, about where our relationship goes from here. But I don't want to forget you." She paused, thinking it over. "I can still see you sometimes, maybe on weekends or when Usagi's at work. You know, whenever there's some spare time." She couldn't believe she was saying this, but after spending some time with Haruhiko, and going this far with him again, she realised that there was a little more to their relationship.

"Are you sure? You're okay with it?"

"I don't know what else to do. I want to be able to stay with you, but, I can't let him know that, you know?"

"I am glad. I will be patient and support whatever decision you make." He said plainly, though he was elated that she was thinking of him and his feelings. He'd be okay if she took some time, or if she didn't see him often. He was just glad that he would get to see her in the future.

"Well, we'll see where it goes. I think it'll be possible, and I'll come up with something so that everyone can be happy…"

The nature of their relationship was far from clear, but they didn't want to discuss it further. They'd probably work out all the bugs in the morning, but for now they'd just let themselves give into the tranquility of their unity. Misaki rejoined Haruhiko in his bed and he immediately wrapped his arms around her as if to keep her close. Together they fell asleep.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: If all goes as planned, there will be literal months worth of flashbacks...

* * *

(Flashback- Akihiko's feelings in the past.)

Akihiko and Takahiro made their way to the cafeteria. While the day was ordinary, both parties appeared to be in good spirits. Apparently Takahiro was doing well in all of his classes, and Akihiko had been writing short stories for the school paper for the last few weeks. While he didn't bother to receive notoriety for his work, he did manage to catch a few words in the hall in praise of him. Outwardly he never made a big deal out of it, but it did warm his heart a little to know that the general population enjoyed his work. The confidence boost made him seriously consider publishing one of his many novels that he had on standby.

The two friends took a seat, retrieving their lunch and making idle chatter about general things. The topic changed and bounced around from one mundane topic to another, never setting on anything in particular. Eventually the two overheard the chatter of a nearby group of girls.

"Have you read the latest story by Mr. Rabbit?" One of them said, with her paper in her hands.

"Oh my gosh! It's some of his greatest work! It's only a page long, but I was hanging on every word!"

"Wouldn't it be great if Mr. Rabbit could take over the paper, and it could just be a collection of his stories?"

"That would be great, waiting a whole week for the next one to come out is just too long!"

"If we could find out who this Mr. Rabbit is, we could convince him to quit writing for the paper and start publishing longer, deeper works in the writing club, or something."

Takahiro chuckled at their conversation, but Akihiko appeared to be disinterested.

So far only Takahiro knew Akihiko as himself and his pen name, 'Mr. Rabbit.' All of the girls thought that was just the cutest nickname, but no one knew it was him as of yet. Akihiko wanted to keep it that way, mainly because he didn't want to deal with hordes of fans rushing him all hours of the day. His writing may not have been the most popular out there, yet anyway, but he wanted to stay hidden just in case. Takahiro was naturally sworn to secrecy, not that he'd ever have any malicious intent toward his long time friend.

"By the way, I've heard that the school paper had become in high demand lately. It's because of your short stories, isn't it?" If the girls' conversation was any indication, that seemed to be the case.

He knew Takahiro was right, but he didn't really feel like validating such a claim right now. "Who can say?" Akihiko said in a somewhat disinterested voice. "Maybe the juicy gossip is just getting out of control."

"I think you could take credit. The newspaper club should be paying you for generating such interest."

He rolled his eyes, he didn't need to be paid for what was essentially his hobby. Not to mention that he was already rich, so he was particularly interested in turning his passion into a side job. Being that committed would only make him lose his love of writing, and that was the last thing he wanted. "It's fine. They don't need to do that. I like the way things are right now."

"Well, suit yourself I suppose." Takahiro said, not really wanting to push the issue.

"Um, hello." A small voice could be heard, Takahiro reacted with a grin right away, but Akihiko regarded the young girl with suspicion.

"Ah, Manami, come take a seat." He said with a warm smile. "Akihiko, this is Manami, I met her in one of my classes not too long ago."

"Pleasure to meet you." He said with only a little enthusiasm. She was cute, perhaps, not exactly his type, but cute. He assumed this was Takahiro's new girlfriend, and he was marginally happy for them.

"I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Usami." She said with a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Akihiko glanced over to Takahiro, wondering if he let his pen name slip. The fact that she wasn't bringing it up pretty much indicated that she didn't know about it. He sighed and their menial conversation picked up again, not going in any particular direction. Manami, the newcomer, drifted in and out of the conversation here and there. Akihiko was able to fully understand the nature of her relationship with Takahiro during their general chat. Apparently they weren't dating, Manami was just working with him on some project or another and they just happened to hit it off.

He was also able to discover that she was a huge fan of his stories, or at least 'Mr. Rabbit's' stories. It was slightly flattering, but he didn't make his identity known. For now he'd just sit back and let his admirer tell him all about what she liked about his writing. Eventually, at the end of lunch, the three went back to their classes.

So far he wasn't too bothered by the addition of Manami to their little group. While he wasn't exactly a social creature, he found it kind of nice to interact with others occasionally, as long as they didn't become annoying. While he wasn't really one for social interaction or fan worship, he did have an ego that periodically needed stroking. For now he'd be okay with Takahiro's new friend as long as she didn't get too annoying. He'd have no problem letting Takahiro know if he was annoyed by the possible new addition to their little group. He could be blatantly honest with his best, and possibly only friend, and he knew they could reach an understanding somehow. For now he'd just see how he got along with her before he made any suggestions to Takahiro.

Since he had some time on his hands, he'd finish off his day by writing the next story for the paper. He'd leave Takahiro to his own devices. Takahiro was also too preoccupied to bother contacting Akihiko, so everything worked out well for everyone.

The next day, Takahiro and Manami happened to meet up first, Akihiko was either running late or taking care of his own affairs. That was okay though, since both of them were pleased to have some time together. They chatted idly about their classes, and other general things until Takahiro accidently let it slip that Akihiko was Mr. Rabbit. Naturally Manami was excited to finally know the identity of the infamous writer, but Takahiro made her swear not to tell anyone, and to not let Akihiko know that she knew. From that moment, she was a little on edge, wanting to ask the now infinitely intriguing Akihiko about his writing, but in a somewhat discreet manner.

It wasn't until lunch that the three of them met up. Akihiko was looking sleepy, as he did sometimes when he got overly enthusiastic about his work, or if he was troubled about something. Manami didn't know that yet, but Takahiro could only chuckle at his friend's quirks.

"What's so funny?" Akihiko said dryly.

"Nothing, nothing. It just looks like you've been up late. Writing or just thinking?"

He rolled his eyes, completely unfazed by Manami's presence and Takahiro's statement. "I need to capitalize on good ideas when they're flowing so freely." He said lamely. "But yeah, you got me. I only got an hour of sleep last night…" It was easy to tell, his hair was a mess and he looked about ten years older. It kind of gave him a mature look, despite how unkempt he was, Manami thought.

"Well, that's good, but sometimes I worry about your health." Takahiro said humorously. "Do you think you can make it through the day?"

"I wanted to stay in bed." He said bluntly. "But I've got stuff to do, so I guess I can't just skip it…"

They continued chatting until it was time to resume classes. Manami didn't manage to ask him about his writing, but it would probably be better to press the author when Takahiro wasn't around. She was lucky enough to get her chance after class, as Takahiro had some business to attend. She waved Akihiko down and they ended up walking together.

"So, I heard earlier that you routinely stay up late writing?"

"Yeah, probably more than I should."

"What kinds of things do you write?" She asked innocently, not letting on that she knew already.

"School work, assignments, notes, you know, that kind of thing." He said dismissively. This wasn't a topic he liked to discuss even when he was properly rested. Being tired as he was, his sociability was cut further.

She wasn't deterred though, and pressed on. "Oh really? Is that what you meant when you said you had to keep writing when the good ideas were flowing? It was just related to school work?"

He sighed. "Yeah pretty much. Sometimes I'll write narratives." He said with a shrug. "Depends what mood I'm in."

"That sounds interesting." She said, jovially and with interest. "What kind of narratives are you interested in?"

"General literature, mystery, BL…"

"BL?"

"On occasion." He said plainly, not finding that strange. He had dabbled in writing some of that in the past, but he didn't let anyone know about that. Not even Takahiro knew about that, mostly because he never bothered to bring it up. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction though, she seemed simultaneously surprised, confused and happy.

"You definitely don't seem to be the type who'd be into that." She said, as if trying to make sense of this information.

"Is that so?" He said, still disinterested. In the past he had feelings for Takahiro, or so he thought, but now it seemed like he was over that. Whether or not that was a phase, he didn't know, but he did know that he still had a soft spot in his heart for BL. Lately he'd been much more interested in reading and writing literature devoid of romance. Maybe it was because he was starting to feel a little pent up and frustrated. "I don't mind. Think what you like."

"Oh, I didn't mean to insult you." She said, "I just find that intriguing."

"Is that so?"

"Well yeah." At that, she decided to change the subject. It was already getting kind of awkward, so she deflected before she ended up saying something that made him angry. "But anyway, I think it's great that you're so devoted to your studies."

"Hmm." He said. It would probably come off that way, but he knew the truth. He was mostly lazy and what he said earlier was largely a lie. He almost never stayed up late doing school related work, he just said that he did to deflect questions and suspicions. Either way, he was too tired to continue the conversation and decided to just mumble his answers for the remainder of this conversation.

"Do you mind me asking what you want to do in university?"

"Dunno. I'll think of something." He knew he had enough to live on for the rest of his life just because of his family name, but if he needed extra, he'd likely turn to selling his stories. Or so he thought in the moment. It wasn't something he thought about much.

Feeling like this conversation was going nowhere, Manami decided to cut it short for today. It would probably be better to talk to him when he was feeling better. "Well, anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for talking with me."

"Mmm, yeah." He said half heartedly. At that, they split up. Once Akihiko made it home, he almost immediately went to bed.

Manami was pleased with how their talk that day went, even if it didn't go very far, and even if he didn't say much. She decided that she found him interesting, and that she was going to try to get to know him better in the coming days.

In the morning, Takahiro and Akihiko met up at their usual spot with Manami arriving shortly after. Akihiko was looking much better than he did the previous day after having slept. Manami was quick to act, handing a brightly wrapped box to Mr. Rabbit. She didn't label it as such, but that was her intention anyway. "Um, I hope you don' mind, but I got you a present." She said.

"Oh? What is it?" Akihiko said with mild intrigue as he took the box.

"It's kind of a secret, you should probably open it when you get home."

He raised an eyebrow at that, but he'd take her word for it and open it later. It almost seemed like a threat, but if that was the case, he didn't want to bring Takahiro into that. So for now he slipped that suspicious package into his bag and continued on his day as usual.

When he turned in for the day, he took out the present and unwrapped it fairly carelessly. She had enclosed a BL novel, it caught him off guard. He hadn't expected her to actually listen to him, and he was surprised that she wasn't off put by his passing mention. His interest was piqued, and he decided he'd take the proper steps in getting to know her better.

Days passed, and their little group became closer. After allowing himself to get taken in, he and Manami soon became as close as him and Takahiro, so he thought. Eventually he disclosed his pseudonym to her too, and she showed her appreciation for his work.

The more time they spent together, the more he understood the feelings growing inside him. It was very similar to his initial feelings for Takahiro, only a little more apparent. He soon became happy just to see her happy, and always informed her first when his short stories were done. No one else knew about his identity, besides Takahiro, and so she was given the exclusive opportunity to critique his work before he submitted it. Seeing that smile was worth it every time.

One night when he was alone, not really doing anything, he found himself concocting a fantasy romance story in his mind. Perhaps this would be the concept for the next story, and once he started writing it, he realised that the characters very closely resembled himself and Manami.

He realised it then, he'd fallen for Manami. While he wasn't sure about her stance on him, he was fairly certain that she liked him too. This realisation made him wonder if he should just confess. The worst case scenario stopped him though, as if she rejected him outright it would definitely affect his current social life. If she became hostile, there was a chance that it would negatively affect Takahiro too. It was just too risky, he'd have to play it safe. How would he go about doing that?

During his free time, he thought about the safest way he could go about asking. He wanted to make sure he could get a clear answer, but he also wanted to have an out if something went wrong. Maybe he'd just ask her if there was anyone she liked, and then if she pressed him he'd just say it was a general curiosity. Though, if she said yes, he'd have to think of a plan to ask her who it was. Though, he couldn't rely on that response. There was no guarantee that she'd be completely honest with him, especially about something so personal and embarrassing.

He sighed. In the end he would decide how to ask, and how he'd go about doing it. Perhaps just taking the direct approach would serve him well, but he'd have to choose his own path once he saw her again.

The anticipation made it hard for him to sleep. In the morning he was looking haggard. All of his fretting was taking a toll on him, so he'd just have to put his fears aside and just ask. That may have been easier said than done, but he had to do it. So he tried to keep himself composed as he approached her at their usual spot. She looked up at him and nodded, like she always did, and he took a seat near her.

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you." He said blatantly. No point in holding back now, he thought.

"What is it?"

"Do you have anyone you like?"

She hesitated, but a small smile appeared on her face. "I guess it's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Akihiko raised an eyebrow, intrigued by such an honest response. She continued, "I've been feeling this way for a long time, and I don't know how to convey my feelings…"

Akihiko regarded her with intrigue, and his pulse accelerated. "I think you should just say it directly." He said in a discreet manner. In his mind he was hoping those feelings were for him, it never even crossed his mind that they might be for someone else.

"Oh, I don't know. Do you think you could help me?"

"Certainly, I'll do what I can."

"Well, you've known him longer than I, and well, how should I express my feelings to Takahiro?"

It took a few seconds for him to wrap his head around what he just heard. Takahiro, Takahiro, The one she liked was Takahiro. Not him. Takahiro. His best friend and former object of his affections. And now the current object of his affections was in love with him. Honestly he felt like he might get sick, but he retained his veneer of composure. "Oh, he'll definitely accept you if you tell him."

"Really? Can you be sure?"

"I can't say for sure, but he's a really gentle kind of guy. Even if he doesn't accept your feelings, I'm sure he'll still be your friend."

"Well, if you really think that." She paused, getting flustered. "I suppose I could ask him. Thank you, I'll ask him today." With that, she was off.

Akihiko was left feeling forlorn, as the object of his affections and his best friend would likely get together, and they were well suited to each other. Now that he thought about it, he would continue to support both of them, no matter how much it hurt to do so.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Addressing some of the comments, I can't address most of you directly since most of the comments are by unidentified guests. First off, I'm not writing any supplemental material for this. Everything is going to stay contained. Secondly, about the ship, it is what the requested said to do, so that's what I wrote. It's not up to me what goes into this, but you can keep suggesting things. Also, I'm going to update 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, if I'm able, until this is complete.

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(Flashback- Akihiko's feelings in the past continued.)

Somehow he managed numb himself to the pain of being around his best friend and the former object of his affections being in love and flaunting that fact all of the time. They were like the poster couple for young love, it made Akihiko sick to his stomach at first, but eventually he willed himself into apathy. There was no point in expending energy longing for what he couldn't have, so just shutting down seemed to be the best and only way to cope with the situation.

Though he wasn't aware of it himself, his feelings of hopelessness and rejection had began permeating his work. By the time he was made aware of it, he was already too apathetic to do anything about it. His stories had become primarily about heartbreak and isolation, betrayal and despair, or anomie and loneliness. It was a trend that was easily noticed by his fans, and they seemed to have mixed feelings about the change. He heard the conflicted voices of his fans in the halls, yet had no motivation to do anything about it.

Though, Manami and Takahiro did begin to notice their friend's despondence, and eventually she decided to reach out to him. "Hey, Akihiko, is there something bothering you?"

He looked up at her, but his expression remained unchanged. He could see the look of marginal concern on both of their faces, but he really couldn't muster up the energy to put on a smile for them. "Not really." He said simply, his voice defeated and flat. "I guess I'm just a little tired is all…"

"Are you sure?" Takahiro chimed in, noting that his best friend looked different from when he normally didn't get enough sleep. His current stated looked more like he was suffering from illness, or if he was intentionally ingesting poison. "You look a little ill, are you feeling okay? Is there something I can do?"

He sighed. "No, I guess I'm just having trouble sleeping. I think I'll go for a walk or something later…"

Manami and Takahiro looked at each other, trying to come up with an explanation for their friend's odd behaviour. They had both noticed the shift in his writing, but it was hard to confront him about it in public. If he wasn't so secretive about his identity, they would probably have asked him about it by now. That would only put his identity at risk though, so they stayed silent about it for now. They might have confronted him about him after school, but he had been acting elusive and was hard to locate once school was over.

"If you ever need my help, just ask, okay?" Takahiro said.

"I'll keep it in mind." He said dismissively, then got up and left at that. He didn't have the patience to deal with the two of them right now, it would be much better if they just left him alone. For the rest of the day, he made himself scarce and didn't associate with his friends. At the end of the day he went home alone.

Still, despite everything, he wouldn't cause any trouble for his best friend and his lover. As far as he was concerned, the best thing he could do was say nothing about the situation and continue to live as he had been doing. He could just stay within their company, and hopefully he could numb himself to the feelings he had and go back to how it was before. Perhaps he'd never truly get over it, and perhaps he'd never reach that old normal. Wallowing in sadness wasn't going to solve anything, and yet he couldn't will himself out of it.

When he got home, he didn't bother associating with his family, though no one really took notice since that was a common action anyway. He made his way into his study, where he scratched down some extra notes for his next short story. Perhaps this time he'd try to make it more upbeat to throw people off.

He was just lazing about his house when he got a call visit from Hiroki, the butler had informed him of the arrival. He allowed for her to come in even if he didn't have the energy to entertain her right now.

She approached him in his room, he only marginally looked up to acknowledge her. "I'm sick of seeing you like this." Hiroki said bluntly. "You have to move on. You're a total mess. Stop it you idiot."

He rolled his eyes at her usual abrasiveness. "Good to see you too." He said dismissively. "Do you have something you need from me?"

Her temper flared, but she tried to maintain composure as she began stating her case. "I know exactly what's going on. Stop acting so pathetic and move on already."

"You have no idea!" He barked back. "You have no idea what it's like to have someone you love completely ignore you! To give their love to someone else!"

Hiro was completely unfazed by his indignation, as she knew exactly what he was feeling. While it wasn't in her nature to be gentle, she'd try her hardest to get him to calm down and return to his old self. Not to mention, if all went according to plan, she'd get what she wanted out of it too. "It must be hard for you, but you're just acting like a little bitch by wallowing in self pity like this." Her glare became sharper then, as if to drive her point home. "Let me help you get over this."

"There's nothing you can do." He said decisively.

"I don't believe that's true." She said, though not as decisively. "I want to help you get out your frustrations, what do you think? Will you allow it?"

"I don't know. I don't think there's anything you can do. Not without causing problems for them, anyway." He wasn't about to order her to break up his best friend and his crush. As much as he might want them to get broken up, he wasn't vindictive enough to actually plot to make it happen. He had too much respect for his best friend, and above all else, he wanted Manami to be happy.

"This will have nothing to do with them, I can assure you. I'm going to help you clear your head." Suddenly she became slightly shy and almost defensive.

"How do you plan on doing that?" he asked skeptically.

"Well," she paused and thought about her words carefully. "I think, you can get out your frustrations if you use a substitute. You really want Manami, but, since you can't have her, I think if you make yourself speak your feelings in an intimate moment, you might be able to move past it." She blushed and turned away, unable at the moment to speak directly.

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. He sort of had an idea on what she was talking about, but he couldn't imagine his childhood friend asking something so lewd or direct. "You're saying I should use a substitute to take out my sexual frustrations on? Who should this be?" He only half expected Hiro to volunteer, and half expected her to suggest someone else. It wasn't like he was completely opposed to the idea, but he didn't think it would actually help. Still, he wasn't about to pass up sex if it was offered to him.

"Since I'm your friend, I want to help." She said in a low voice. "I- I want to make you feel good." She said, holding up a piece of cloth in her hand.

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "What's the cloth for?"

"It's a blindfold." Hiroki said, looking away. "I know you're in love with Manami, but if you can't have her, you can always use your imagination."

"I don't follow…" He said, wondering where this was going.

Hiro sighed. "If I blindfold you, then you can pretend I'm her. You can call out her name, you can have all the fun you want…"

Akihiko raised an eyebrow, but he was so desperate and longing for the love he couldn't have, that he agreed to it. He wasn't chasing Manami, not anymore, so he didn't feel like he should keep loyal to her. They weren't ever going out anyway, but still he somehow felt like he was cheating.

They were already in his study, and both of them were quick to take off their clothes. They didn't even bother to check to see if the door was closed all the way. Hiro tied the blindfold around his eyes, and heard him utter 'Manami.' Despite how disgusting it was to hear her name on his lips, Hiro didn't stop this from happening.

Though, the sounds coming from that room attracted some attention. Haruhiko just happened to be passing by, and witnessed the whole thing. They didn't seem to notice him, and he made sure he stayed hidden. It may not have had any significance to him now, it would remain in his mind.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Addressing some of the guest comments again. First, to the the guest who reviewed right after the requester, that's a really odd thing for you to say. How would you know how long it's going to take to finish? Also, I have to ask about this 'it will last longer' mentality. Please explain this? Unless I get specific instructions to delete it straight from the requester, it's going to stay up, so it's going to last as long as my account does (I guess unless the fanfiction staff takes it down for whatever reason.) Also, yeah, the three pointed star was supposed to make you think of a triangle, like a love triangle. That's also a misnomer, I should probably change it. Next, why the kids were in the story: it was requested as such.

* * *

Somehow they had both slept through the night, soundly and comfortably in each other's arms. Once Misaki woke, she was feeling oddly peaceful. Haruhiko's sleeping face was next to hers, she moved out of his arms and saw how peaceful he looked sleeping. She couldn't help but smile and feel something welling up inside her. Still though, now that she was properly rested, and her lust had been mostly sated, she was left with very conflicting feelings. She knew she didn't feel shame in what happened, but she still couldn't get rid of the guilt that was constantly building up. Usagi would never condone what happened last night, not with anyone, and there was no way for her to come clean to him while sparing his feelings. On the other hand, she realised that she now had feelings for Haruhiko, and while he seemed okay with sharing Misaki with his brother, she knew that he would be the one feeling left out if she went back with her first lover.

To clear her head, she got out of bed and got dressed. She'd occupy her time with cooking or some other menial chore while she thought about the situation she was in. She made her way into the kitchen, almost like she was in a trance. Cooking was easy enough so she could set herself to autopilot while she thought about more pressing matters. Mostly, she had to think about how she could somehow be with Haruhiko while at the same time not hurting Akihiko. No easy feat, maybe it was literally impossible, but as of now she saw no other option.

Not long after, Haruhiko appeared and sat at the table, watching her. Nervously he cleared his throat, and said simply, "good morning."

She cast her eyes away and replied, "good morning."

They couldn't look at each other as Misaki cooked breakfast. It just seemed like the tension had returned in full force and neither of them knew what to do. Things seemed to have resolved last night, but to what level?

"So um, did you sleep well?" Haruhiko said, though with no conviction. He was trying to break through the awkwardness, but he didn't have the experience to know what to do in a situation like this.

"Surprisingly, yes." She said, almost dismissively. There was no denying the comfort she felt sleeping next to Haruhiko, and she certainly didn't regret it. Though, now that she was faced with him, she too wasn't sure how to react. "Um, did you sleep well too?"

"I did, but I knew I would." He said. A smile appeared on his face for the briefest of moments, but then the awkwardness came back and it faded. He'd be more than happy to shower her with all of his affection, but she didn't seem ready for that yet. That was okay for now, he was unusually patient and willing to wait it out, especially now that he made such progress.

She scoffed, but this exchange seemed like it was nostalgic. He was starting to show a little more of his perverted side, or so she though, and it was endearing. He was teachable, perhaps he didn't have the raw sexual energy his brother had, but he could learn. Though, she didn't want to go down that line of thinking right now. "Yeah well, you did get some exercise…"

"It was a great way to expend energy." He said, blushing slightly but still happy that they could discuss this.

"Yeah yeah, I bet the real thing is a lot better than that doll." She couldn't help but blush remembering what happened last night. Seeing Haruhiko shamelessly pleasuring himself with a doll that was made to resemble her was both sexy and beyond embarrassing.

"I was pleasantly surprised." He conceded. Though, this morning when he woke, he did locate the doll that was tossed carelessly aside and placed it gently on his bed. He didn't mention that, because of embarrassing it was, but he still felt like he should treat the Misaki doll with respect.

She scoffed, but didn't actually feel any anger. Instead, she was flattered and her emotions were running wild. She had to change the subject, or else she felt like her heart might pound out of her chest. "Are you going to lonely once I'm gone?"

He cast his eyes down, suddenly dejected at the subject change. "I will definitely miss you. But I am willing to wait for you to return." Just the thought of her possibly coming back to him was enough to keep him going. She certainly seemed to be into him last night.

Now that she thought about it, her week was almost up. Even if she wasn't completely opposed to the idea of staying with him longer, she knew that Usagi would be back soon. She didn't want to have to make up more lies to justify why she wasn't at home, waiting for him. Not to mention, she could totally go for her boyfriend's version of hot love making, even if should wouldn't admit it. "It was fun staying here though." She said finally, in a low tone.

"I loved having you here."

"I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime…"

Haruhiko raised an eyebrow at that. Now that he knew, he would definitely use his influence to stage more scenarios like this. "I'll see what I can do."

"I don't mean right away! Sheesh!" Despite her indignation, she was happy that he was eager to spend more time with her. Though, she felt a little lonely all of a sudden. "Since I'll be heading home soon, I guess we'll be seeing each other less often, huh…"

"I am okay with any time you can spare. But I don't want to pressure you into it. And I'll miss you."

She could only give a nod. The complicated situation was going to take its toll on both of them, but they'd find a way to deal with it somehow. "Well, thanks for being there for me. I guess I should start packing up now. It won't be long until I have to greet Usagi…"

"I still think I could treat you better. When he returns, really think about which of us is a better match for you. He's too immature. You need an equal, not a parasite."

She couldn't help but be a little miffed by such an accusation. "He's not a parasite! He makes more money than I do, and he provides just fine!" She also thought about how much better he was in bed, but she wouldn't bring that up here, as that would only hurt Haruhiko's feelings. Besides, she felt like she could teach him all kinds of things, maybe, later on.

"But he acts like a kid, and he's lazy and useless. Outside of his writing, he's got nothing. If people stop liking his work, he'd have nothing." He stated plainly.

"But that's not going to happen! He has so much talent that people will never stop liking his books! And even if that did happen, we'd have enough money to live off for the rest of our lives anyway."

He sighed, realising that now was probably not the best time to go over this. Coming on to strong would only drive her away, and he certainly didn't want that now that he had a chance. "I understand. But if you ever want someone who is your intellectual equal, and not an overgrown child, I'll always have my door open to you."

She blushed and looked away. "Thanks…" She said simply.

For a while they didn't speak. Eventually Misaki plated their breakfast and took a seat next to him. Just being close made them feel a little better, and in the moment words were unnecessary.

Once they had finished their breakfast, Haruhiko cleared his throat. "I know you're not leaving right away, so, how about I take you out to the park today? You know, just the two of us…"

"That sounds- nice." She said, but worried then that she might be seen. Despite that, she still resolved to go through with it and assumed Haruhiko would be able to come up with a viable excuse if they needed it.

"That's good. I already got the tickets."

"When did you do that?" She asked, feeling a little suspicious.

"A while ago. I don't know what I'd do with them if you didn't want to go." Plus, she had already agreed to it in the past. He knew it was very possible for her to change her mind, but he was glad that she didn't.

She narrowed her eyes in a playful way. "Alright then, you put away the dishes and I'll get ready." Just as she was passing by him to get to her room, she ran a finger down his cheek. Naturally he had a rather dramatic reaction to such a simple gesture, and immediately stood up and moved to the sink to hide his blushing face. Misaki silently chuckled at how cute and innocent he was.


	33. Chapter 33

After a short drive, Misaki and Haruhiko arrived at a newly opened amusement park mostly populated by families and bored teenagers. So far neither of them could see adults there on their own, but that wasn't going to stop them from enjoying the day. Misaki was dressed casually with only a marginal amount of makeup on to accentuate her more feminine features while Haruhiko was dressed unusually casually for him with a loose tee and sweat pants. Her hair wasn't particularly styled, as she didn't know what exactly Haruhiko had in mind, but seeing the kinetic nature of the rides here, she was feeling relieved that she didn't spend any substantial amount of time fixing her hair.

They approached the ticket booth and Haruhiko presented his advanced passes. Their hands were stamped and they were sent inside without further question. "So, what did you want to do first?" Haruhiko asked casually. Since he wasn't a theme park aficionado, he'd leave it up to his energetic lover to direct their outing.

She looked around, trying to see which line had the fewest people. "We could start with the teacups, there doesn't appear to be many people on it. After that we should try out a rollercoaster, or maybe check out the snack bar…"

"Fine by me." He said, adjusting his glasses. They got in line, which was fairly short, and chatted idly while they waited. "Are you into cotton candy?"

"It's pretty good. I'd like to try something else today though, maybe they'll have something new and exciting?"

"You never know. Do you mind eating popcorn or cotton candy if there's nothing interesting here?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I guess it's okay either way."

In the distance some squealing kids could be heard. Someone was upset because they lost their balloon, a few teenage couples walked by, with the girls of the group holding what appeared to be stuffed animals. Haruhiko made note of it, and resolved to win Misaki the best and most impressive plushie by the end of the date.

Misaki took his hand then, they were next. He looked completely nervous, like he was about to ride a rollercoaster. Misaki chuckled at his innocence. "Relax, this isn't an intense ride. It's really relaxing."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me. Look, there are kids on this ride." She said, gesturing to some elementary aged children. "I'm sure if they can handle it, you can handle it."

He blushed, feeling ridiculous for having worried. He sighed and turned away, but jolted up comically when the ride started. Misaki chuckled as he gradually eased into it.

"Is this your first time at an amusement park?" She asked with genuine curiosity.

"It's been a long time. When I came before I mostly just looked around."

"Huh." The gentle spin of the teacups appeared to relax Misaki, but Haruhiko was still a little on edge. Misaki wasn't sure if he was feeling stomach sick or just nervous in general, but she decided to hold off on asking him about it until the ride came to a stop.

Two and a half minutes later and the attendant appeared, undoing belts and opening doors. Misaki took Haruhiko's hand and they exited. "You look a little shaken, is something wrong?"

"…Not really." He lied, poorly. "I just think the mechanical sounds are a little harsh…"

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's recover a little before we get you on something a little more, you know, extreme." Suddenly she got an evil look in her eye, but only for a split second. They took a seat on a nearby bench and Misaki went to the snack bar to order for both of them. All the while Haruhiko tried to compose himself so that he wouldn't bring down the mood of their date.

Misaki returned shortly after with two cups and a package of something, as well as some blue cotton candy for Haruhiko. He suddenly felt bad that he didn't opt to pay for it. "Here, this is for you." She passed him the cotton candy and the cup of unknown liquid.

He took it, and was surprised to note that the cup was hot. "What's this?"

"Tea. I was just as surprised as you that they had tea here." She took a sip of her own tea, looking pleased with the taste. Then she took a pastry looking object out of the bag and ate it, looking equally pleased with the taste.

"What's that?" He asked, if for no other reason than to get to know her tastes.

"Mini cinnamon rolls. Not too bad for park food."

"I see."

"Is your stomach settled enough to actually eat your cotton candy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't that shaken up." At that he took a big bite of his cotton candy. It tasted exactly like he pictured, and he nodded in approval.

"Do you think you're strong enough to make it through a coaster next?"

He shuddered, but put up a brave front. "Of course. I'll ride whatever you suggest."

She couldn't help but chuckle. "Well alright, but you can only back out before it starts. Once it starts going, you're going to have to tough it out." She snickered and wondered if he'd have the fortitude to go through with it. "By the way, open your mouth."

He didn't question it, he just did what he was told. Misaki slipped a cinnamon roll in with a cute grin on her face. He blushed, but made sure to properly chew it and swallow it. He cast his eyes down, choking a little out of embarrassment and unpreparedness. Though, these shenanigans gave him a slightly mischievous idea, and he very boldly decided to ask. "What if you put one in your lips, to hold it for me…"

Misaki raised an eyebrow, but reciprocated his feelings. She brought a cinnamon roll to her lips and held it between her teeth. Haruhiko leaned in then, and took it, only allowing her lips to brush his for a second. After that they turned away, not sure if that was a romantic moment or just childishness.

"Anyway, um…" She stopped then, unsure of what she should say. Before she could complete that thought, she caught sight of another couple approaching.

"Hello." A gentle voice greeted them. Nowaki and a very ill looking Hiro sat at the bench with their snacks. "It's been a long time, Misaki."

"Yeah, I guess so." She said, only marginally remembering him. "Are you here on a date?"

The incapacitated Hiroki said nothing, so Nowaki did most of the talking. "Yeah, I thought it'd make her happy to have a date. I rarely get time off now, but it seems that it wasn't a good idea to spend it here." He glanced over to the other, who wore an expression that said she wasn't in a good mood. "Anyway, I read your latest novel, I was impressed." He said with a grin. "The characters remind me a lot of you, and your friend Shinobu." He said with a wink. Haruhiko raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Hiroki didn't seem to notice, and instead kept her head down on the table trying to keep her lunch down.

"Really? They're not based on me…" Misaki said, wondering what Nowaki meant by his comment about her fictional characters resembling her.

He glossed over the subject entirely. "Well, anyway, I should probably be leaving. As you can see, she's not feeling the best. I might as well take her home and salvage the rest of my day off." At that, he stood, and took Hiro by the hand. It was mostly just a drag along, since she appeared to be completely out of it, but she was still alert enough to walk. Haruhiko turned his attention to her then.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"He's an old friend I think. I don't really remember much, maybe he was part of class or something…"

Haurhiko just nodded, pleased with that answer. "Anyway, you were talking about a roller coaster, did you decide on which one?"

"Oh yeah, I've got one in mind." She snickered and finished up her tea. "Look." She pointed to the end of the park, at one that didn't seem too extreme. She could have been meaner and suggested something that would really shake him up, but she decided it would be better if she didn't totally terrify him. "You think you can deal with it?"

He nodded, even if he wasn't convinced. "Whatever you want."

"Great!" She collected the trash then, and grabbed Haruhiko's hand to drag him off. They got in line, and Haruhiko tried his hardest to maintain composure. She chuckled a little to herself at how cute a scared Haruhiko was, but didn't vocalise that. Once they were led into the car on the ride, and the belts were put in place, she took him by the hand. "You're going to be fine," she said, noting that he was shaking. He said nothing and tried to keep himself together. The ride started moving, and he let out a stifled yelp. Misaki just chuckled and continued to hold his hand as they ascended to the peak.

As they started to descend, Haruhiko managed to get through it without screaming like a girl. Inwardly he was in terror, but he didn't want to appear weak or unmanly in front of Misaki. When they got off the ride, his lets were shaking and his face was pale white. Misaki chuckled. "You look like you need to sit down." She guided him to a nearby bench, and they sat together on a bench. Haruhiko just shook and tried to regain his composure. Misaki would just sit there with a smile on her face while she waited for him to get over it. "Hey, are you feeling better?"

"I'm- fine." He said, suddenly resolving to not ruin her day with his squeamishness. "What did you want to do next?"

"We could take it easy for a while. I'm in no hurry."

"… Thank you." He said, rubbing his temples, but willing himself into action. "Alright, I'm okay. Really, seriously. Let's go." He stood up, but his legs were a little shaky. He was a lot more steady after his few minutes of rest, but he still looked very much like a wreck. Misaki just rolled her eyes and stood up with him, and took him off in no particular direction.

Eventually they came to the games section, and Haruhiko perked up a little. He remembered his plan from earlier, and became determined to win a prize for Misaki. "Hey um, do you see anything here you like?"

"Yeah, actually." She said, gesturing to a white rabbit plush. It sort of reminded her of Usagi, but she didn't vocalise that. Haruhiko didn't seem to be connecting the dots either, so she wasn't about to tell him what she was thinking and hurt him.

"Alright, consider it done." He approached the kiosk then, and bought some tokens, a little too much. He wouldn't tell her just how much he spent, but he was determined to win that rabbit for her no matter what. He meandered around, playing some of the games, failing spectacularly at most. Misaki didn't mind, she was actually quite flattered that he was going out of his way just for her.

In the end, he didn't have enough points to get the rather large rabbit, but he did manage to get a comically ugly crocodile thing. He felt a little defeated, but he tried to proudly present the thing to Misaki. She giggled a little at his gesture, even if the thing was hideous. "Thank you, I will cherish it always."

He appeared pleased with her appreciation of his efforts. "You're welcome." He said in a hushed voice. "Anyway, um, what would you like to do next?"

"Hmm, now that I think about it…" For the rest of the day, she dragged him around, riding not so thrilling rides and chatting about nothing in particular. Their day ended after Haruhiko couldn't take the motion anymore, but they both agreed that they had a decent run. Though, during the drive home, they both sort of fell silent. It was a little awkward, but neither of them spoke.

They entered the house, and flicked on some of the lights. Already it was dark out, and Haruhiko wasn't about to stop the romance. He took Misaki's hand, and she willingly went with him out to the balcony. There weren't many stars, and it suddenly felt a little cold, but it seemed like a serine moment that ended off a nice date together.

"I take it our outing was to your liking?" He said, almost shyly.

"It was. I wouldn't even mind if we did this again sometime…"

"I'll keep that in mind." He said, rather pleased with himself.

"The night is beautiful too."

"I'm glad, it's a good ending."

They fell silent, just enjoying the other's company, when suddenly they felt something like a drop of rain. Seconds later, the rain came full force, and the two of them were forced inside.

While they weren't particularly soaked by the rain, they were wet enough to feel a chill. Haurhiko grabbed a cloth and began wiping the water off Misaki. She grinned, and grabbed the cloth from him in an attempt to dry him off too. They chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, but then Haruhiko wondered if he could use his limited knowledge of romance to make the scenario a little more intimate. Tonight, despite the rain, would definitely serve to be a romantic backdrop. "…You know, even if it's raining, we could still enjoy the night…."

"What do you mean?"

He said nothing and made his way into the closet. Not long after he came back with an umbrella. "Do you think you'd like to stay out there under the umbrella with me?" The scene wasn't exactly like what he read about in his romance novels, but it was similar enough to work. He held out his hand, just as the handsome romance protagonist did.

She raised an eyebrow, but went along with it. At that moment she didn't realise that he was trying to replicate what he read in romance novels, but she was a little curious as to what he was trying to accomplish. Hand in hand they went outside, and Haruhiko put up the umbrella and they listened to the sound of rain as they stood on the balcony. It was a little cold, but that only gave them reason to move closer together. Misaki chuckled at the absurdity of the situation.

"So, you like rainy nights?" She asked, feeling a little awkward.

"Not particularly. I just remember…" He paused, wondering if he should reveal his sources or not. It was beyond embarrassing to admit that he read romance novels for ideas on how to connect with Misaki. Though, it might seem ever weirder if he just did erratic things with no explanation, so he decided on being honest. "When I read romance novels, they often suggest doing things like this. So- do you find it romantic?"

She couldn't help but blush. His innocence was adorable, and the fact that he was reading romance novels just to please her made her heart flutter. "Oh, well, it is quite lovely."

For a while they stayed under the umbrella, keeping each other warm while listening to the sound of the rain. Eventually it became too cold and they went back inside again, though chuckling a little more, and feeling a little more relaxed. "That was certainly, well, something…" Misaki said, flattered despite all her shivering. Standing under an umbrella kept them marginally dry, but she was still soaked enough to feel cold. Haruhiko also appeared to be damp and shivering, but he had the traces of a smile on his face. "Misaki…" He said, almost shyly, "Um…" he ran his hand over something in his pocket. He was debating whether or not he should try another romantic tactic from a novel, and eventually decided that he would go through with it. "I have something for you…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, but, I'll understand if you don't want to keep it." He held out what appeared to be a simple ring. "I read something about exchanging friendship rings, as a sign of my devotion to you…"

"Huh?"

"So, here." He slipped the ring on her pinky. She was speechless, almost in tears over such an innocent gesture. Haruhiko also remained silent, wondering if he made the right choice in doing that.

"I- I love it. But, you know I won't be able wear it right? I mean, I can now, but I won't be able when Usagi gets home. But, I love it, and I want to keep it…" The ring symbolized her love and friendship with Haruhiko, and there was no way she'd ever want to get rid of it. Though, if she were suddenly sporting suspicious rings, Usagi would certainly ask about it. She already knew that even if it wasn't a ring given to her by another man, he would think it was.

"It's okay, you don't have to wear it all the time. If you just keep it, that'll be enough for me."

She nodded, and raised her hand, outstretching her pinky with the ring on it. "I promise that I will keep it always, and that I'll think of you whenever I see it…"

He raised an eyebrow, but mimicked her gesture. "And I promise that as long as you keep it, I will always protect you…"

"It's deal then." She said, smiling. Haruhiko smiled too, and Misaki was pleased to see him show such a genuine emotion. "Anyway, since we're both cold, why don't we try to warm each other up?" She said with an ambiguous edge to her voice.

"Huh?"

At that she took him by the hand and dragged him into her room.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Sorry about uploading this late today. I'm in rough shape. A disk in my back has bulged out and is pinching a nerve, moving is hard, I'll be incapacitated on the couch for a while, apologies for any missed updates until this problem is resolved. Also sorry about the lemon again, not too steamy but Haruhiko's gotta learn you know?

* * *

The door closed behind them and Misaki dragged Haruhiko to her bed. They fell on the sheets carelessly. Misaki wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought him down on top of her, forcing her lips against his. Haruhiko was little more than a passenger, but he tried to kiss back. Their tongues clashed, and Misaki took the lead. Her body ground against his, and her already soaring libido made her throw away any hang-ups she may have had about doing this.

Her body loomed over him, she ran her hands along his chest, and eventually lifted his shirt over his head. She kissed along his neck and licked his ear, listening to his breath and his subtle moans. "You're really cute, you know that?"

He blushed, both from flattery and arousal. Though, he made no move to touch her, as he wasn't sure what he was allowed to do. Misaki pouted, displeased with his lack of participation, and started running her fingers along his chest. She thought he'd get the hint, and took off her own shirt, pressing her chest against his. Their lips met again, and she pinched his nipples. Her own nipple remained untouched, he didn't make any move to take off her bra. At that she pulled back, staring into his eyes. "Hey, are you nervous or something?" In this state, she finally understood how frustrating it could be to be coursing with lust and have a partner who wasn't into it. She wondered for a second if Usagi was holding back most of the time due to her always trying to resist him. Though, if Haruhiko wasn't going to reciprocate, they weren't going to get very far.

"I, well…" he was beyond embarrassed. Truly he wanted to give her what she wanted, but his only knowledge of what to do came from romance novels, and was usually highly unrealistic. Of course, there was the few times he already had with Misaki, but that was hardly enough for him to be confident "You can, just do what you want…"

She raised an eyebrow at his hesitance. Still, with free range, she grabbed him again, and forced her lips against his while one of her hands found one of his. She guided him to the clip on her bra, silently urging him to take it off. It took a few seconds, but eventually he took the initiative and unclasped it. She broke from him for a second to take it off completely, and pressed herself against him again. After a while of him not making another move, she had to pull away from him again to take off her panties.

She was already uncontrollably horny and dripping, Haruhiko still seemed a little confused. That wouldn't do at all, she was too consumed by lust to put up with hesitation. She wasted no time in hauling his pants off savagely and without finesse. His cock was only semi hardened, and she immediately seized it and brought it to her lips. Her tongue laved over his balls and she gently sucked them while her hand expertly stroked him. He jolted up with a gasp at the sudden sensation, grinding his teeth to keep from whimpering. His cock swelled and throbbed, she moved her face up to tease the tip of his cock, all the while stroking him with her hand. He moaned and sighed and his fingers entangled in her hair. She mischievously licked along his staff until she felt his hips move. Apparently he was losing his resolve, and lust was taking over him too. "Such a naughty boy." She said teasingly before taking the length inside her lips. For a while she held her head in place, only running the tip of her tongue over the tip, staring him down, daring him to make a move on his own. He tried to remain composed, but her teasing made him lose control and he thrust into her mouth. Though, he released her hair, thinking that being naughty was a bad thing.

His sudden show of enthusiasm aroused her to no end. She sucked him off, and slipped her fingers inside herself shamelessly. He couldn't see very well, but he could tell what she was doing. Mewls vibrated against him and he winced. He put a hand on her head as gently as he could, lightly guiding her to take in more of his cock. She grinned internally, knowing he was close. It was too late for her, she had become impatient and released him from her mouth. For a brief moment she stared him down, eye to eye. He looked a little confused, but she could see the lust in his eyes. "Do you want me?" She said while licking her lips. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.

"… Yes…" He mumbled, already losing himself to the lust.

Now that he was hard and finally ready, she forced him down and slid herself up his leg until her pussy brushed against his dick. "You won't have to do a thing, just relax." She lifted her hips and spread himself. Haruhiko's mouth went dry as she forced herself onto him, taking in the head of his cock with a lusty sigh. She moaned as she slid down and her eyes fluttered shut as she took in the entirety of his length.

"Misaki-"

"Mmm! Ah!" Her hips slowly started to move. He forced herself down on him, using her weight to take in his length. "Haruhiko! Yes yes!"

He did nothing but moan and sigh as his lover took the lead and used his body as she saw fit. He writhed in pleasure under her, watching her ride him.

She placed her hands on his chest for leverage. Playfully she bounced on his cock, moaning and sighing with eyes closed and her mouth hung open. The faint light from the open window allowed him to see her body in its entirety.

As hot as it was to watch Misaki ride him, and to see her beautiful breasts bouncing, and to her beautiful face twisted and contorted with lust and pleasure, he felt like he shouldn't just let her do all the work. In the novels he read, the man always took charge, and if he was going to rival his brother, he'd have to up his game. Even if he didn't know what he was doing, he reached up and grabbed one of her breasts, just to garner her reaction.

Her back arched, pushing herself into that touch. "So naughty. I like it." She said between breaths. The newly emboldened Haruhiko ground his hips against her, she moaned her approval. "Do what you want, naughty boy."

He flipped her onto her side, and grabbed her leg as it fell onto his shoulder while they were still connected. She gasped in surprise, but the position was exciting, especially since it was coming from an inexperienced guy like Haruhiko. "Yes! More Haruhiko! More!" Her eyes fluttered shut, and her tongue hung loosely on her lips. She forced her hips against him, devouring his cock shamelessly.

"Misaki-"

"Yes! Yes! Use your hips more! Fuck me hard!"

She writhed under him, and he cast off his reservations. He made it this far.

It wasn't as good as she was used to, but it would do for now. Since he'd given up on holding back, she could enjoy herself.

"Misaki…" He sighed, this mind clouding over with lust.

"Haru-" Her hips ground against him took in the entirety of his length. She moaned shamelessly, arching her back as her eyes rolled up into her head. His breath hitched and they cried out together.

Cum poured inside her as she shuddered in ecstasy. They both went limp, and caught their breaths while Haruhiko laid on top of her. The scent of sweat and sex hung in the air, while the only sound was that of rain and the sound of their breathing.

Seconds passed and Misaki rolled onto her back, lying next to Haruhiko. He turned on his side to face her, and she rested her head near his chest. "You were great." She said, nuzzling in.

"…" He didn't know how to properly respond, so he just nodded and wrapped his arms around her. Even now she thought his innocence was adorable, and she wrapped an arm around him too.

"I expect the next time will be even better, you've been steadily improving."

"Next time?"

"Of course." She said with a purr, "I told you I wanted to see you again in the future, I meant that I wanted to be with you too."

He blushed and said nothing, as he was both elated, embarrassed, and something else he couldn't quite place. Luckily, she was merciful enough to let him be for now. They could likely talk about this tomorrow.

She listened to the sound of his still erratic heartbeat and purred contentedly as they fell asleep together.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: I'm in recovery. I'm also pretty miserable so I'll try not to let my negativity to infect the story. Chapters will begin again soon, I think, maybe.

* * *

Haruhiko slept soundly with Misaki in his arms, and woke feeling refreshed and content. They weren't naked this time, at some point they managed to get some clothes on, but that didn't matter. What mattered was she was there with him, willingly sleeping in his bed with him. Though, he knew today she'd be packing up and leaving, but it had to happen eventually. While the morning was still young, he continued to lay next to her and cuddle her while she slept, as he didn't know when he'd be able to do this again, or if he'd even get to do this again.

She eventually stirred awake, and turned to face him. "Good morning." She said while nuzzling into his chest.

"Morning." He said, still unsure of how this kind of interaction usually went. There didn't appear to be a clear consensus in the novels he read, so he decided to mostly observe and wait for Misaki to take the lead.

She didn't say anything after that for a while. They just laid together, taking in each other's warmth. It couldn't last though, as Misaki had to get home. She squirmed a little and Haruhiko let her go. "I have to start getting ready. I expect Usagi will be home soon."

"Yeah, I know." He said, despondently. It had to come to this eventually, and he was willing to accept it. For now he'd just help her pack and drive her back to where she lived. He realised that he was feeling a lot more forlorn than he expected, but that was probably because the time was actually here, and he couldn't just speculate about it anymore. Not to mention, he and Misaki had become much closer than he had anticipated. Sure it was a good outcome, but it made saying goodbye all the more painful.

"Well, I'll get ready." She said, getting up. Since this was the room she was staying in, it had all of her clothes and belongings. She glanced over to Haruhiko, who was watching her laxly. Despite his eyes on her, she decided to get dressed anyway. His attention was captured in an instant once he realised what was happening.

"Should I leave?" He said with a wavering voice.

"Naw, but you can start packing up my bags for me, if you want." She said with a blush. Normally she'd be a little more indignant about showing off for someone, but since this was their last day together, she might as well let him have a show. Despite that, Haruhiko did as he was told and started collecting her things to pack away. Even though he had seen her naked in the past, he turned his eyes away, feeling ridiculous. She didn't press the issue and got dressed without paying too much attention to him.

"Alright, what have you got?" She said, now fully dressed.

He presented a packed suitcase, apparently he worked fast and was rather efficient. She resisted the urge to make a joke about him wanting to get her out of the house as soon as possible, as he was a very literal person who most likely wouldn't get the joke. "Wow, nicely done. I'll finish up here, then I'll check around for things I might have dragged around."

"Wait, before you go, I have something to show you." He was slightly hesitant to say that, but he felt like he had to come clean. His expression was one of guilt, it had Misaki intrigued and worried.

"Err, okay then."

He took a deep breath and led her to his room. They stood before his closet, and he hesitantly pulled the door aside. Misaki was a little confused at first, but it quickly registered in her mind what was going on here. The inside of the closet was filled with oddly angled pictures of her, as well as her books, printed out excerpts from websites promoting her, along with some other things strewn about that she couldn't quite place just yet. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Haruhiko, who had turned away with a nervous expression on his face. "How long has this been going on?" She asked, her voice unreadable.

"…A while…"

"Why are you showing me this?"

"I thought I should, you have the right to know."

"I see."

There was a long silence. Haruhiko's tension was rising by the second, as he assumed he'd be rejected. He knew what he did was weird, he fully expected Misaki to be creeped out by it, but he felt like he had to tell her. The silence was killing him, he had to say something, "are you angry?"

"Not really, I'm just kind of surprised." That was only partially true, this totally seemed like something he'd do. She was more surprised that he'd tell her about it. "What are these?" She asked, pointing to a few mysterious looking books with no titles and no cover art on a stool. They looked like they were handmade, and she was certainly curious about them since she hadn't produced them. They somehow seemed out of place among the collection of things relating to her.

"… Nothing really. I tried writing my own romance novels." She could see that he was uneasy about admitting that, but he didn't bother to elaborate. Knowing that he was trying his hand at writing made her endlessly intrigued.

"Do you mind if I read one?"

"…Well, if you really want to." His voice was hesitant, but he conceded. Misaki just smiled and picked one off the top and placed it in her bag. As far as she was concerned, she didn't have enough time to read it now, she'd do it once she got home.

"Thanks!"

"Yeah, um, it's no problem."

She just offered a grin, before turning her attention away. She then proceeded into her room to finish collecting things.

Packing made her sad in a way, but she had to do it. She did it as quickly as possible just so she could get it over with faster. She didn't want to think about it, it was just too complicated a situation. Instead she just focussed on getting back home. Perhaps things would just fall into place if she just let the chips fall where they may.

With her bags packed, she dragged all of her bags out into the hall. She had placed the ring he gave her on the tail of the ugly crocodile thing. It looked fairly innocuous there, so she'd be able to keep the ring without drawing suspicion to herself. She already had a lie ready, she'd tell Usagi that she won it at the park, which she went to with Shinobu to celebrate the panel. It was a pretty believable lie, or so she thought. Though, if he didn't ask about it, she would bring it up.

Haruhiko was close by in the hall, ready to help her load it all into the car. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed her holding the ugly croc along with her usual stuff. For some reason it warmed his heart to know she was keeping that thing, even if it was hideous. "Did you get everything?"

"Yeah, I think it's all accounted for. I'm ready to go home now."

"…Okay." He said simply, and grabbed some of her bags. Together they loaded up her belongings in silence. The atmosphere between them seemed heavy and sad, so neither wanted to say anything. Once they were packed, the trip began.

For the first few minutes, they said nothing. Occasionally Haruhiko would glance over to her, and eventually he noticed the ring, placed at the base of the ugly crocodile's tail. His lips curled into a small grin, and eventually he chuckled a little which immediately caught Misaki's attention. She turned his attention to him, he was mostly focussed on the road, so she had to inquire about why he was laughing like that. "What's so funny?" She was mostly just confused by the thought of Haruhiko laughing at something, so she was more or less intrigued by what could have set him off like that.

"…It's nothing really, I just noticed that you put the ring on the toy I won you."

"Oh yeah, I think that'll be the best place for it." She said, smiling comically at the thought of it.

"Thanks. It actually makes me happy to see it."

She blushed a little, but didn't say anything after that. Just knowing that Haruhiko was becoming more normal made her pleased with herself. She wouldn't say that to him yet, she wanted to see what other emotions he could learn to express, later on perhaps.

Eventually they reached her home, and Haruhiko parked long enough to help her carry her things to the door, but they spoke little. For some reason this seemed so final, and neither of them had the energy to hold a conversation. Haruhiko left shortly after, neither of them bothered to say goodbye.

He drove off, and she watched his car until it was completely out of sight. She sighed, but went inside. With Usagi coming home soon, she wanted to prepare to welcome him back in a way he'd appreciate.


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: Well, I don't know if I'm getting better or not. I'm out of one type of med, I guess that's a good sign.

* * *

For the longest time she waited in the silence of the house, passing the time by reading the book she had received from Haruhiko. She couldn't help but feel sad, as the story centered around Haruhiko feeling lonely and rejected by Misaki, he didn't even bother to change the names. It was basically page after page of him lamenting the fact that his brother was in a relationship with the woman he loved and there was nothing he could do to change that. She was left with mixed feelings, as she knew things were different now, but felt bad about causing him so much pain in the past.

The sound of the door opening made her jump, and she immediately hid the book under the pillow in her room. After that she moved out into the common room to greet him.

Naturally her lazy slacker of a boyfriend looked haggard and terrible as she suspected. Though, he did appear to perk up a little upon seeing Misaki. His mouth turned up a little, and he approached. She was at a loss for what to do, but decided she'd give him what she knew he wanted. "Welcome home." She said partially coyly.

He said nothing, he just strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her. His grip tightened, and his breathing was slightly erratic. Misaki knew there must be a lot on his mind, she wanted to put him at ease. So she shoved him away, just enough to put a bit of distance between them, then immediately reached up to kiss him. He was motionless, caught off guard by her sudden amorous action. She parted from him and stared into his eyes, with a look on her face that was slightly coy and seductive. "You must be tired, go wait for me in the bedroom."

He raised an eyebrow, contemplating if he was delirious from fatigue. Either way, he gave a nod and made his way into his room. Misaki grinned, and quickly made her way back to her room to properly prepare.

While she didn't have much in the way of sexy attire, she did have a few things that could suffice. Usagi had bought her a sheer bra and panty set that had only been worn upon his request reluctantly. After stripping off and donning the thin set that covered nothing, she joined him in his room. He was sitting on his bed in his underwear, but his eyes widened immediately upon seeing his usually reluctant lover enticing him.

She approached, and stood before him. "I missed you." She said in semi seductive voice. "I'm really happy to have you back." At that she joined him on the bed. With a playful shove, she forced him onto his back. He didn't protest, and she immediately began running her hands over his exposed skin. He shuddered, feeling arousal surge through him. This was the last thing he expected to come home to, and despite how sexy it was, he was still trying to process if this was real or just another dream.

He was rendered immobile by confusion and shock, he was trying to process the situation in his hazy head. Misaki was soon hovering over him, forcing his arms down and behind his head. For now he let it happen, mainly because he was curious to see what she had in mind. "I wasn't lying when I said I missed you." She said in a sly voice. "I was thinking about you all week."

"Oh really?" He said, intrigued. "And what exactly came to mind when you thought of me?"

"Well…" She said, her voice becoming more seductive, "I thought about how you must be sad and lonely and how you must be working hard. But most of all…" She reached down and stroked him over his boxers while licking his lips, "I thought about how this part here must be lonely."

"Oh? You missed my cock that much? You dirty girl." His lust ignited in full force, overtaking all confusion he may have had.

She offered a seductive grin, and then leaned in to kiss him. Immediately their kiss became rough and passionate, as they poured out all of their longing for each other. All the while, she slipped his boxers off, freeing his erection. She grinned to herself, knowing that she could always count on him to satisfy her. With a moan she broke from the kiss and began stroking him while nibbling on his neck.

"Misaki-" He breathed, thrusting his hips up into her hand.

"Now now, you be patient you naughty boy." Her grip tightened on his cock and she ran her thumb along the underside. "If you don't behave yourself, I'll have to punish you."

He very briefly raised an eyebrow at her sudden attitude, but his lust stopped him from thinking about it in detail. "Very well." He said in a husky voice. Seeing her taking charge was enough for him to submit.

She smirked then, and released his arms so she could move downward. Her lips curled into a grin before she kissed the head. "Don't you move now." She said playfully with a wink. Her lips parted and she took his length, immediately deep throating him. He gasped, trying not to thrust into her mouth. Her head bobbed, his cock hit the back of her throat again and again, while her fingers teased his balls.

"Hah- Misaki." He ground his teeth and stifled his moans.

She met his eyes, and brought her mouth up to his head. Her lips opened and she teased the tip with her tongue while stroking him. She felt him twitch, and gave him a playful squeeze. Her mouth opened wide while her tongue massaged him, willing him to release into her mouth.

"Misaki- Kuh-" He came into her mouth, splaying some over her face. She licked her lips as she swallowed, then turned her attention to his eyes. He was definitely feeling good, but the signs of lust still lingered.

"Weren't you the eager one? Don't tell me you're done already?" She teased, rubbing the head of his cock all the while. He shuddered, feeling overly sensitive after just cumming.

"Misaki, you're being unusually sexy today." He said in a moment of clarity. "Is this what happens when you're deprived of my cock?"

She narrowed her eyes in an alluring expression. "Maybe. I guess I didn't know what I had until it was gone." She said playfully. "But you're back now, I don't have to be deprived…" Her hips moved up, and rested on his leg. Already her sheer panties were soaked and her juices were running down her legs. Usagi could feel that moisture against his skin, and his passion ignited once more.

He reached up to touch her, but she slapped his hand away. "Just be patient, I waited a week for you, you can wait a few more minutes." She said with a chuckle. Sure she'd allow him to do whatever he wanted with his hands in a bit, but right now she wanted to make sure everything went the way she wanted. She turned around and slid his boxers all the way off, leaving him completely naked. For a while she played with his semi-hardened cock, turning around to entice him. She grabbed her own breasts then, and held them as if to present them. "You've been eyeing these the whole time, haven't you?" Her lips became pouty as she slid up his leg again. "Since you've been so good, I'll allow it."

Immediately he gripped that sheer bra and tore it off. And arm wrapped around her back and his mouth latched onto a nipple. Misaki moaned, but still managed to shift onto her knees. Her breasts were pressed against his face, and he seemed completely his glee.

While he was distracted, she seized his cock. With her other hand, she moved her panties aside and stretched her lips open. Slowly she began to impale herself on it, she could feel his teeth against her breast as she took more of him in, and moaned uncontrollably as he grabbed her ass. It felt like he was trying to pull her down, force her to more of him in, and she was all too happy to oblige.

"Ah! Mmm!" She purred and arched. Her hips wiggled side to side until he was balls deep inside her. "Usagi!" She forced him back down into a position on his back, and placed both of her hands on his chest. Her hips ground against his wildly, with no rhythm or care. She was horny beyond her control and her only goal was swallowing up his cock as fast as she could.

"Hah, Misaki- Misaki-"

"Yes! Oh God YES!"

Usagi focussed, watching carefully as his lover's face contorted with pleasure as she rode him. He ground his teeth and grabbed one of her arms. Misaki was already too consumed with lust to protest, unless he stopped, and let him position her as he wanted. "I need more Misaki." He growled, and flipped their positions. "On your knees." He demanded.

Misaki pulled herself off his cock only long enough to get on her knees. He gave her ass a quick and playful slap before slamming into her again. "Ahh!" She moaned and cried in pleasure. Her voice quickly became unhinged as she lost herself in his movements. "Yes! More! Harder!"

He forced her face into the bed as he went balls deep inside her. Her cries of ecstasy muffled but still reached his ears along with the sound of skin hitting skin. "Yes! Usagi!"

"Yeah, scream louder for me. Let me hear your voice."

"Usagi! Usagi!"

"You're so tight, ah, I missed this."

"Mm! Ah!" Her back arched and she gripped the sheets. Her climax was close, but she didn't articulate that.

"Hah-" He buried himself as deeply as he could inside her, and released. He was a little early because the week long dry spell and Misaki's sudden enthusiasm overwhelmed him.

Her body convulsed with overwhelming pleasure, her pussy clutching and ringing his cock dry in the process. She could feel his breath on her neck as his cock became limp inside her. Together they caught their breaths, and Usagi pulled out of her. For a while they lay side by side, among the sound of heavy breathing and the scent of sweat.

"This, this wasn't what I expected to happen. I guess even you can feel deprived huh?" He said after some time passed. His tone was only marginally sarcastic as he was pleasantly surprised.

She pouted, but couldn't deny that he was right. "I guess." She mumbled.

"Maybe I should go away more often, just so I can benefit from your deprivation…" He snickered, but he was only partially sincere. He wouldn't really want to be away for any length of time, but he might consider it if that was her kink.

She said nothing, just cuddled into him. While she did enjoy her time with Haruhiko, she was a little distraught about cheating. Now that he boyfriend was here with her, the reality of her two timing finally became tangible. Now more than ever she resolved to never let him know what she did. Though, if he did elect to leave for any length of time, she could use that time to reunite with Haruhiko. If she acted natural about it, she might just make it work.

Both of them remained silent, only the sounds of their breaths permeating the air. Sleep came easy, as they were both contented with each other's love.


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: Probably resume the current time period in the next chapter. This was already typed, and I was told to do a mix of continuation and flashback, so I guess I'll get this one out since it was already typed a while ago.

* * *

 _Flashback: Misaki and Haruhiko's first meeting_

Haruhiko was out on his own, feeling despondent. Sometimes he just needed to get away from his family and be alone with his thoughts. This usually involved him wandering around with no particular destination in mind. Today was no different, he had nowhere to go and was just walking to clear his thoughts and to get away from his family. He sighed, somehow he found himself in a playground, but the cold and rainy weather drove away anyone who might have been there. Haruhiko decided to take a break, and sat at a table alone. It wasn't cold enough to stop him from hanging around, and he was more than grateful for the solitude.

It wasn't long until he saw a little girl rushing his way. At first he just assumed it was an over eager child ready to play no matter what, but as she moved closer, he could see her face was red and tear soaked. He was alarmed, but he didn't move right away until he could assess the situation. She could have been a child throwing a tantrum for one reason or another, or she could be in a fight with one of her friends. He wouldn't intervene until he had more information.

Misaki sat at the end of the sand, with her eyes cast down. She didn't notice the other present party, who just happened to be watching carefully to make sure nothing strange was going on. Misaki just curled up and cried, depressed and despondent at her own powerlessness. Her sobs reached his ears, and after a while, when no one came after her, Haruhiko started to worry.

The little girl had actually ran out of her room and sneaked outside, completely without her brother knowing about it. Her thoughts were chaotic and depressing, at that moment she thought what she was doing was for the best. Aside from the constant sobbing, she didn't move at all.

After a while, Haruhiko began to worry for the girl's welfare. So he approached. He stood over her for a brief moment, but she didn't seem to notice him. "Are you lost?" He said simply.

She looked up and acknowledged the man, but she didn't feel threatened. She had been told in the past not to talk with strangers, but right now she was angry and confused a little scared. Since he didn't seem threatening, she'd open up to him a little. "No- I ran away…"

"You ran away?" He wondered if she ran away from a troubled household, or if there was something threatening her. She didn't appear to be injured, but then again he could only see her face and some of her arms. Still, he wasn't about to leave her unattended, and he couldn't just ignore her plight. "Did something happen?"

She dried her eyes a little and hesitated. Since she didn't think this guy was a threat, and felt no animosity from him, she decided to talk a little. "I ran away because I don't want to be a problem anymore. My- my parents died because of me… I don't want the same thing to happen to my brother. All I do is cause trouble, it would be better if I wasn't around."

Her answer was equal parts shocking and disturbing, at least to Haruhiko. Even if he didn't know the circumstances, he wasn't about to let her keep thinking her parents died because of her. Knowing kid logic, that probably wasn't even close to being true, even if he didn't know the details of her claim for himself. "That's not true, you didn't cause that." His voice lacked conviction, but he continued. "Where is your brother? He's probably worried about you."

"I'll only cause him trouble, I should go…" She started crying again, thinking about her own self-worth. She seemed inconsolably upset, and started speaking incoherently about how she told her parents to hurry on home, and how there was a car crash. He listened and marginally pieced together the scenario, trying his hardest to calm her down.

He was a little confused, and didn't quite understand the situation, but he felt like he should do something. "Do you know your brother's phone number?" His second option would be to call the police. First he'd like to check in with the brother, who he assumed was old enough to know what was going on. If he was also a kid like her, he could at least ask him about their current guardianship. Since he'd never been in this kind of situation, so he wasn't sure what the best course of action would be.

"If you call my brother, he's just going to get mad."

That seemed like a reasonable conclusion, but Haruhiko thought he could convince the crying child to deal with her brother and go back to where she belonged. "I'm sure your brother loves you very much, if he gets angry at you for running away, it only means he was worried about you." The words somehow came naturally to him, he could hardly believe he was saying such things. This gentle side of him certainly didn't come from interacting with his own family.

"Really?" She didn't seem convinced, but her crying slowed slightly. "But, it's my fault that our parents died… How can he still love me after that?"

"I'm sure it's not your fault, and if your brother already lost his parents, won't it hurt him more to lose his sister too?"

"But- but I-" She seemed to have calmed down enough to consider what she was told.

"I have a brother too, but we don't get along. He's younger than me, and he doesn't trust me. Do you trust your brother?"

She didn't seem to register what he was saying right away, but it seemed to have an effect on her. "You don't get along with your brother?"

"No, he wouldn't be angry if I went missing. If your brother is worried about you, it means he loves you very much. You shouldn't make him worry about you."

"You really think so?"

"Let's call him, he'll come and get you I'm sure. What's his name?"

"Okay…" She spoke her number, and her brother's name, and he took her by the hand to the nearest convenience store. He called the number then, not sure what was going to happen.

"Hello?" The voice on the end sounded endlessly distressed.

"Is this Takahiko Takahashi?"

"Err, yes." He said slightly confused.

"Your sister is here, she's looking for you." He gave the details of where they were, and Takahiro thanked him profusely and hung up. Haruhiko and Misaki waited together, not really saying much.

Takahiro arrived in a frantic rush shortly after. "Misaki!" He called out, Misaki froze in place, but Takahiro strode right over and hugged her. With his glasses partially veiling his eyes, Misaki couldn't tell if he was crying or not. "I was so worried, why did you leave?"

"I'm sorry." She said, equally despondent.

"Don't ever do that again…" Takahiro said, gradually calming down and becoming progressively more relieved. He looked at the mysterious nineteen year old man that helped out, glad he wasn't a weirdo that would take advantage of a lost little girl. "Thank you."

Despite feeling happy about the two being reunited, and the brother being a loving sibling to his sister, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. His family life had none of that tenderness, not anymore anyway, and so he suddenly felt like lamenting the loss of his mother and the disunity of his family. But he wouldn't let his present company know that. "Don't worry about it." He said, but decided to leave the two alone. He just left without another word.

While he didn't know what happened after he left, he did infer that that the girl would be safe with her brother. He was already old enough to provide decent guardianship of her, he thought, so there was no need to worry. He sighed, but was not inspired to try and connect with his family. Instead, he thought about how his life might have been different if his mother was still with him, and how he might have been if he had a family as close as the two siblings he just met. He and his brother would never have that kind of connection, but he was already over that. They'd never get along, but perhaps that was for the best. They had different ideals after all, they could never be compatible. He did lament the fact that his relationship with his father was rather lacking, and the absence of his mother only made him painfully aware of how broken his family was.

He sighed, but continued walking to no particular destination. For now he'd try to clear his thoughts, as meeting with Misaki and Takahiro, no matter how brief the encounter, had given him a lot to think about. The encounter left a lasting impact on him, perhaps he'd never forget it.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: 37-1=36

* * *

He certainly hadn't expected such a warm welcome, it pleased him nonetheless. Perhaps he had trained her well, and began to speculate on his girlfriend's hidden desires. How to draw those desires would certainly be an entertaining endeavor, he already knew making her wait brought on the lust, so he'd have to look into other tactics as well.

Though, now that he was back, his suspicions about Akira were back in full force. While Misaki didn't leave the house often, and didn't need to enter the Marukawa Publishing often, he suspected there might be something going on there. The mysterious Akira was still an unsettled topic in his mind, and he had to at least figure out who he was. How could he go about that though? If he just appeared and started asking around, it was likely that he wouldn't get very far. He could ask Aikawa, she'd probably explain who this Akira was and what the nature of his relationship with Misaki was. If he couldn't wring any information out of her, he'd have to take matters into his own hands.

Misaki was already up, probably making breakfast or something like she always did. This would probably be his best chance of talking with Aikawa without raising suspicions. So he found his cell phone and dialed her number. He waited a while for her to pick up.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded confused, as if she couldn't comprehend getting a call from Usagi, especially this early.

"I want to talk to you about something." His voice was direct and to the point. "Who is Akira?"

"…What?" She was only sinking deeper into confusion. Getting a call from the laziest writer she'd ever had to deal with, out of the blue, in the early morning hours following a weeklong trip, regarding someone named Akira who she never heard of, made her think he was on something. "I don't know, should I?"

"Misaki has someone called 'Akira from work' on her phone, and I want to know about him."

"Uh-huh." She said, still confused as to what he was talking about. "I haven't met anyone named Akira. I can't help you there."

"You're absolutely sure there's no one named Akira working with Misaki?"

"I can't say for sure, but I've never ran into anyone named Akira here. I think I'd know if she was working with someone."

He raised an eyebrow, obviously not happy with that response. "Have you been keeping watch on her anytime she entered the building? Have you monitored her whenever she was working?"

"Of course not. It's not my job to watch her. Besides, she's an adult, she can talk to whoever she wants."

His eye twitched. "From now on, I want you to keep watch, make sure she's not talking to anyone suspicious, and look into finding out who Akira is."

Aikawa said nothing, just hung up. His request would go unfulfilled, as she had better things to do than watch over Misaki. Aside from that, Misaki rarely appeared there, so it would be pointless to keep watch for the few minutes she showed up anyway. Usagi sighed, if he wanted surveillance done, he'd have to do it himself.

He exited the room, and met Misaki in the kitchen. "Morning." She said happily. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"I'll have some when I get back." He said bluntly. "There's something I have to take care of at work."

"Really?" She said, taken aback by his sudden work ethic. "Alright then, hurry back."

He left without another word. There was one thing on his mind, finding out who Akira was and confronting him about his relationship with Misaki. Even if it was just a casual work relationship, he'd make It very clear that whoever Akira was had to stay away from her, and then he'd get back to Misaki and tell her to delete his number from her phone.

The drive there was largely uneventful, his focus remained unwavering. He made his way inside and immediately began asking around. His fame and notoriety allowed him to move around fairly freely without security issues. He started by asking the editing staff, to see if he could find anyone named Akira. A few employees were identified, but none of them worked with Misaki, or so they claimed. Since he wasn't getting the answers he wanted, he took his leave for a moment, to stock up on spying supplies.

As of now, no one knew what he was up to. He had left the building in search of some shady devices he could use to record Misaki both in audio and video so he could pinpoint who this Akira was. Though, he knew he wouldn't be able to find discreet spying devices in a regular shop, so instead he'd go home and buy something from the internet. Of course he wouldn't let anyone know about that, especially Misaki. For now, until the parts arrived, he'd just have to lay low and act normal.

Once he arrived back at the house, Misaki appeared to be a little pouty, because he was out longer than she expected and his breakfast got cold. He knew right away that he messed up, but he wondered if he could turn this into a good situation. "Sorry." He said partially sarcastically as he approached her.

"Where did you go!? Didn't I tell you I was making breakfast?!"

"Sorry." He said again, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "I'll eat whatever you cooked now if it'll make you feel better."

She didn't respond, instead she just gave him a pouty glare. He grinned, but decided to leave her alone for a while. For one thing, he had to order the spying devices, so he'd just disappear into his room and get that taken care of. For another, he wondered if working her up would get her to get aggressive with him again. While he wasn't holding his breath for the second option, he was determined to find out who Akira was and nothing was going to stop him.

He opened his laptop and looked up some of the options he could go with. He had to find something innocuous to place inside a building without the staff or Misaki noticing, but something that was able to catch decent quality audio and video. All he needed was the identity of the man known as Akira, so if he could get a decent shot of his face or a quality recording of his voice, that would be enough.

Misaki didn't bother to chastise him further, which was greatly disappointing. Perhaps he'd have to properly apologise later on for running out on her so quickly after returning home. Once he was done ordering his spying devices, he left his room in search of his lover. She wasn't in the kitchen, and was probably sulking around somewhere. He checked in her room first, but she wasn't there. Instead he was greeted by some partially unpacked travel bags, which made him raise an eyebrow. It made sense that she'd be out and about when he was away, but naturally he assumed she was meeting with Akira. He tried to put those thoughts out of his head, but he couldn't think of another explanation. So he started snooping, rummaging through her clothes to try and find something that would alert him to who Akira was. He didn't find anything, but it did nothing to lower his suspicions. On his way out of her room, he noticed the ugly crocodile thing, and immediately assumed it was something she meant to throw out but forgot about.

He grabbed the thing and abruptly threw it out, ring and all. It never occurred to him that the trinket could have been a heartfelt gift from Akira, it was simply too ugly and useless for that. Then he searched all over for her, since he had to question her about where she went while he was away.

Eventually he found her in his own study, with a book and her laptop opened. It was hard to stay mad at her when she appeared so diligent. Still, he was equally diligent when it came to matters of the heart. "I noticed you have some suitcases packed in your room, why?" He tried to sound casual, but his tone was obviously accusatory.

"Oh, I visited Shinobu after my panel. You remember Shinobu right? My old friend from college? She saw me on t.v. and called me." Her tone was completely casual, but internally she was sweating. If he found out the truth, she didn't know what she would do. Luckily, she had lots of time to think of an alibi to anything he might ask regarding her shenanigans while he was away.

"Really now, you weren't meeting up with Akira, were you?"

She rolled her eyes, maybe she should have disguised Haruhiko's name as someone Usagi knew, like Aikawa. "Nothing's going on between me and Akira, he's just a guy from work."

His eyes narrowed, but he'd let it slide for now. "Alright, but if I called and asked this Shinobu if you were with her…"

"She'll tell you I was, and that we should hang out more." She said confidently.

"Alright, I'll believe you." He said, though not convinced. He'd just lay low until he could ask Shinobu, if she and Misaki were trying to reconnect, then he'd likely come in contact with her eventually. With that he'd let the issue drop, and returned to the kitchen to eat his cold breakfast.


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: Updates will be erratic until things are sorted out.

On a side note, this will be the final time I address comments. From now on I'll just refer any further questions to this note, until further notice. First, the point of anything that happens in this fic is that the requester requested it. I don't know anything other than what I'm told. Secondly, no I didn't change anything. I don't even know what you mean by 'it feels different.'

* * *

As the hours passed, Misaki noticed the odd tension between the increasing. She didn't know for sure what the reason was for the tension, but she assumed that it had something to do with his suspicions about Akira. While he wasn't entirely wrong about her two timing him, she couldn't help but feel like his suspicions were unfounded. She was both worried and annoyed, though she wouldn't let him know about that. Perhaps this was just Karma for her actions as of late. The two of them were currently sitting in the common room, on different couches, gradually feeling the suspicion increase. Eventually Misaki grew tired of such hostile atmosphere and made a move to leave. Usagi was having none of that and spoke up the second she stood. "You said you spent some time with Shinobu while I was away, and that was the reason for the packed bags. Prove it."

Misaki was taken aback by his forceful insistence, but was more confused as to what exactly he wanted her to do. "How do you expect me to do that?"

"Call her and let me talk to her." His voice had an air of authority that said his order was absolute. She was too intimidated by it to try to weasel out of answering.

"You mean right now?"

"Yes." His voice continued to hold its oddly authoritarian edge to it.

She hesitated, but expected that Shinobu would cover for her. While she was still annoyed at his insistence, and the forceful way in which he was demanding she call, she figured she could clear up his suspicions. "Fine." She said. At that she took out her phone and pressed Shinobu's name. Then, she got a sudden surge of worry, hoping he wouldn't insist on calling Akira too. The phone rang and eventually Shinobu picked up.

"Hello?"

"Uh, hi." She stated, sounding a little lost. "This may sound weird, but my boyfriend wants you to confirm some things. Do you mind answering some questions for him?" She glanced over to Usagi, who was watching and listening carefully. She knew he'd be looking for some kind of suspicious signal, or code, or something to alert Shinobu to what was going on. So far he seemed pleased with her lead off sentences, and didn't find anything off about them.

There was a pause, as if Shinobu was contemplating what to do. Misaki held her breath as she awaited a response. "Alright, put him on."

Misaki very reluctantly handed her phone over to Usagi, who wasted no time getting to the point. "Was Misaki with you recently?"

"How rude, coming at me so bluntly." Shinobu said, annoyed. "But yeah, we were together, I'd say just after the panel ended."

"Is that so? What happened between you?"

Shinobu scoffed, unsure of what he was implying. "Nothing, you pervert. She stayed at my place a few days, then went home to greet you. But if you got on like that with me, I'd dump your ass." She stated, trying to be as sassy as possible. Maybe that wasn't the best idea considering the tension boiling up between her friend and Usagi, but she wasn't going to put up with nonsense from anyone.

"I see." He said, looking at Misaki suspiciously. "Very good, that's all I needed to know. Good bye." At that, he handed back her phone. She sighed in relief, feeling pleased that he didn't call Akira too. "She says you stayed at her place for a few days, so I guess your story checks out."

"I knew it would. There's no reason to lie." She lied. "Are you satisfied?"

"I suppose. Carry on." He wasn't completely convinced, but he wasn't going to press her for now. He'd bide his time and see if he could come up with more solid evidence.

She just rolled her eyes and left. Now would be a good time to get fully unpacked. She made her way back to her room and unpacked her clothes with a sigh. This would likely be a rough re-introduction and she hoped her boyfriend would go back to the way he normally was, without all of the suspicion.

Just as she was zipping up her suitcase, she looked around for the crocodile thing Haruhiko gave her. In times like this, she knew it would give her comfort to think of Haruhiko and his bizarre manner of showing affection. Though, it wasn't where she left it, and so she began looking under her bed, in her closet, inside her drawers. It wasn't anywhere in her room, and she didn't remember taking it out. Suddenly panic set in and she ran out of her room, searching the whole house in a frantic attempt to find it. She tore through the common room, looking under couch cushions and under the tables. Every teddy bear was tossed aside carelessly.

Usagi came down then, and immediately raised an eyebrow at her unusual behaviour. "Misaki?"

She turned to stare him down, and then spoke. "Have you seen a crocodile toy? Green and brown with really long claws and a misshapen mouth missing a few teeth?"

"I think so." He said, only marginally remembering the ugly thing he mistook for garbage not too long ago. "I threw it out because I thought it was trash."

"You did what?!" At that she ran to the garbage and began digging through it. Usagi watched with confusion, wondering why she was making such a big deal over something so ugly and useless.

Eventually she found it, it wasn't too far down. It was a little dirty, but a little water would wash that right off. Most importantly the ring was still on its tail, she sighed in relief and immediately began filling up the sink to clean it off.

"So this thing here is important to you?" Usagi said as he approached, not impressed at all.

"Yes, do you know how hard it was to win? I played the games for over an hour straight while Shinobu laughed at me. Even after all that, I barely had enough tickets to win this!" The lie came so naturally to her that she said it with conviction. Even she was surprised at how well she was able to lie on her feet.

He raised an eyebrow, though he didn't feel like challenging her on that. "Why would you even waste your tickets on something so ugly?"

She pouted, as she couldn't deny the horrible ugliness of the crocodile, and that she would never have chosen it for herself. Though, of course she knew she couldn't tell him about the sentimental value it had because Haruhiko gave it to her, so she tried to expand upon her lie. "Well, for one thing, it was the only thing I could afford. I told you I couldn't win at any of the games didn't I? And also, Shinobu picked it out as a joke, and really it's so ugly that no one else would ever give it any love. After that I wanted to keep it because it reminded me of our friendship and the time we spent together…" Sure she was talking about Haruhiko, but there was no way for Usagi to know that.

"Is that so?" He said, surprisingly convinced by her explanation. "Well, I apologise for throwing away your friend. I'll take care not to throw away your things even if I think they're garbage."

"It's okay." She said, feeling relief at both getting her croc back and also that Usagi wasn't pressing her for more information. "He looks fine, a little water will clean him right up."

Usagi ran a hand through his hair, feeling like a jerk for what he did. Since Misaki was willing to forgive him, he wouldn't dwell on it too long. "Do you want me to wash him?"

"No, that's fine. It won't take too long. When I'm done I'll meet you in your bedroom." At the moment she wasn't feeling very amorous, but she figured he would lay off a little if she showed him some affections. All the tension wasn't something she wanted to deal with, especially because she was actually guilty of cheating. Though, if she came off as too amorous he might get suspicious, so she'd play it safe and leave it ambiguous for now.

He seemed a little put off by her statement, but he wouldn't question her motives. "Alright. I'll be waiting for you."

The whole situation was very strange, and she wasn't sure if they made up properly or not. He still seemed to hold some suspicions, but the absurdity of him throwing away the ugly crocodile seemed to diffuse the tension. She was grateful for that, and silently thanked Haruhiko in her mind. Even if he was sort of the cause of her problems, he was not indirectly acting as the solution, at least for now. Maybe she'd thank him later, and tell him all about her thoughts on the issue.


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: Oyasuminasai shiro usagi, kanashii kioku wo kesetanara, hitsuji to ookami dake wo tsunaida kumo no ue 36-3=33

There's a seashore in this chapter I guess.

* * *

Days passed and Usagi finally received his spying devices. Without letting Misaki know what he was up to, he headed out and made his way specifically to the areas in which Misaki frequented. No one really saw this as suspicious, though it was unusual for him to show up there for any reason of his own volition. All he really cared about was placing the bugs and then heading back to his house. He was too lazy to stay there for long, and with the bugs set in place he didn't have a reason to be there. The last thing he wanted was for someone he worked with asking him to do some work or take on extra jobs or something. He was quick to leave before that could happen.

Usagi remained unchanged by the event, he didn't act suspicious or try to get Misaki to go to work for any reason. She didn't suspect a thing, and he didn't give her any reason to, and they continued on living like they always did. The only difference was Usagi seemed unusually attentive to all of the calls and texts she received on her cell phone. She didn't see this as suspicious behaviour from him, but she did voice her annoyance at such actions.

Then the day came when Misaki was called into work, she wasn't given the specifics, but she was told that it was something big. She was delighted, and asked her lover to drive her there. He agreed, but for other reasons than she thought. Her gaining success wasn't something he was supportive of, but for now he'd pretend.

He dropped her off, and immediately drove off without seeing her inside. While she was disappointed, she wasn't surprised.

Immediately he made his way home. After activating the devices remotely, he opened his computer to act as his screen. Misaki could be seen occasionally in the corner of the room, while the people around her appeared elated and praising her. He watched carefully. Clearly they were celebrating an achievement of hers, though he wasn't yet sure what that could be. He put on some headphones to better hear what was going on. There was noise, it was hard to focus on individual conversations. He really only cared about what Misaki was saying, and what was being said to her. He cranked the volume and remained still. Concentrating hard, he was able to hear a few words here and there. Though, one thing he was sure about was there was one guy in particular who was hanging around and acting chummier than the others. While he couldn't say for certain, he had made up his mind that this unusually chummy guy was Akira, and paid special attention to things he was doing. For most of the night, it was harmless enough, but near the end of the meeting, he noticed 'Akira' hugging and touching Misaki like a lover would, at least in his mind. He was furious, and he wasn't going to let this slide.

Later that night, when he was summoned to pick her up, he was sure to close up his laptop before going. He had the footage saved just in case she tried to deny her exploits later. He drove to her in silence, contemplating how he'd bring up the subject. There really wasn't any way he'd be able to corner her unless he told her about the spying devices. That would make her angry, but he felt like he had the upper hand in this situation.

When he arrived, she entered the car in high spirits. She greeted him with a smile, but he only returned it with a critical eye. Deterred, she said nothing and the car ride home was mostly silent and awkward. They only managed to say a few general things to each other before the tension killed the conversation.

Things didn't change when they reached the house. As soon as they went through the door, Usagi began his attack. "Who was the man who was all over you tonight?"

She raised an eyebrow, startled and also cornered. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw everything, and I saw Akira, all over you most of the night. How far have you gone with him? What makes him think he has the right to touch you like that?"

"Okay, how do you know that? Were you spying on me?!"

"It turns out I have to because you're so dishonest. Now answer me honestly, how far have you taken this with Akira? Has he been in the house? Have you slept with him?"

"You're crazy! This is crazy!" At that, she tried to push past him and go to her room. In situations like this, he was completely beyond reason, so the only thing she could do was wait until he cooled off and then she'd talk to him. But he wouldn't stand aside, even when she tried to shove him. "I'm not doing this with you right now! Go!"

"Yes you are, you're not running from this. Now tell me how far you've gone-"

"We didn't do anything! He's just a guy from work!"

"Liar! He was all over you all night!"

"That means nothing! He's like that with everyone!"

"Sure he is. And you just let him?"

"Why not? It means nothing!"

Enraged past the point of reason, he grabbed her wrist.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you answer me!"

"It's none of your business anyway!"

At that comment he slapped her across the face, surprising both of them. He immediately released her then, and she stood, staring at him in shock.

"I'm so sorry-"

But his words didn't reach her, she turned and ran before this got worse. She ran right out the door and down the street, with no particular destination in mind. She just had to get away from him.

When she ran out of energy, she kept walking. She didn't even stop walking when it started to rain. No one seemed to notice her, which was just as well in her mind.

Eventually her travels led her to a beach. It was dark, and raining, so she didn't expect to see anyone else there. She sat down near the wave and allowed herself to cry.

The sound of her weeping attracted the attention of someone nearby. "Hey, are you okay?"

She looked up, but didn't recognise the man talking to her. "Yeah, um, I'm fine. Just feeling a little down haha." She hoped he would go away, she didn't want to have to talk to anyone right now.

"Wait a second, you're Takahashi Misaki, aren't you?"

"Huh?" She didn't want to have to deal with a fan right now. Though, she'd never been in this kind of position, so she'd try to hustle him away as fast as she could, maybe give him an autograph or something. "Yeah, that's me…"

"I'm a huge fan! Can I get a picture with you?"

"Well, I'm not really looking the best-" The rain and her tears had made her makeup run, and her hair was a mess, and above all else, she didn't know if she had a mark on her face from where she was hit.

"It'll only take a second."

"Um, well-" She didn't know what the best course of action would be, but she really wanted for him to leave her alone. "okay, I guess it won't be so bad." At that she took her phone out, and as quickly as she could sent a text to Haruhiko that said simply, 'help beach.'

"We'll use my phone for this."

"Oh yes, of course." At that she heard the text chime on her phone. She didn't read it right away, as she just wanted to get rid of this guy.

He approached and moved as close as he could, which she didn't like at all. If Usagi somehow managed to see this, it would only add to his suspicion and most likely cause him to become even more volatile. Hopefully this would be quick. He snapped a few pictures, but he made no move to go. "Say, what's a girl like you doing out here in the rain?"

"I um, just walked too far, that's all."

"That's really unfortunate. Would you like me to drive you home?"

"Um, no, that's fine."

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out in the rain like this. Let me take you home…"

"No, that's fine. Why are you even here? Isn't it strange for you to be here in the rain?"

He fell silent, not wanting to admit that he stalked her here. Away from the public eye, it would be easier to lead her into doing what he wanted. "I just like being here in the rain."

"Won't you catch a cold?" Her phone chimed again. "Err, hold on a second." She looked at her texts, both from Haruhiko. They said simply, 'Help with what? What beach?' and the latest one, 'are you okay?' since she didn't know if this guy would take offense to her using her phone, she sent a message as fast as possible, 'fan stalker on the beach.'

"Don't worry about me, I don't easily catch a cold. But I don't mind bringing you home."

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn't want to see my favorite author get sick." He approached, and she backed away. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with. "No need to be afraid."

"Well, in that case, you can just leave me for now. I'll go home when I'm ready."

"Oh, I couldn't do that to you." He moved uncomfortably close and she jumped back. "What's with that? You don't like me?"

"Er, well." He appeared to be getting more and more hostile, she didn't want to end up in another fight. "It's just that I'm not feeling the best right now, if you give me your number I can call you later…"

"Why don't you just give me your number then?"

"Well, okay, if you say so." She figured she'd give him a fake number, but then another thought came to mind. Maybe she could turn this into a message, she'd give him Haruhiko's number and he'd set this fan straight. So she wrote down her number, finding it difficult in the dark and the rain, and handed it to him.

He smirked, and immediately took out his phone. She was a little taken aback by this action. "What are you doing?"

"Just calling to make sure you gave me the right number." He said in a smug tone.

She began to sweat, she didn't expect him to do that. There was a silence, her phone did not ring, nor did it vibrate. He raised an eyebrow, but his expression was growing increasingly more critical. He jolted up when he heard someone's voice answer.

"Who is this?" Haruhiko was frantic, and quite to the point.

"Huh?" The fan was completely caught off guard, he certainly didn't expect to hear a man's voice. "Who is this?" He responded back.

"How did you get this number?" Haruhiko was listening carefully, he was already on edge from getting texts from Misaki, and now there was this mysterious caller out of nowhere.

The fan wasn't having this, and hung up. "Looks like a wrong number." He approached again, though this time looking more imposing. "Who was that guy? Or do you know, perhaps you just gave me one at random."

"No, um, I just gave you my number. It must have been for my other cell phone, and my boyfriend must have picked up. He's um, really possessive of me, and he doesn't like it when fans call me. Um, sorry about that."

"Hmm." He said, drawing close, standing almost nose to nose with her. "Boyfriend huh. That's unfortunate."

"Yeah, well, I guess I should be going now, he's going to need an explanation on who you are. So um, good bye."

He stood in front of her, preventing her from escaping. She couldn't turn around and run that way, it only led to water. It was dark, and she couldn't really see her surrounding clearly. The rain only hindered her vision further. Fear was welling up inside her, and she didn't know the intentions of the fan in front of her.

Suddenly she heard footsteps rapidly approaching, and saw a beam of light. There wasn't much time to think about what was going on, when a third party was upon them. The bright light passed across her eyes, blinding her for a moment. In a second she heard something that sounded like an impact, and then suddenly her arms was grabbed and she was dragged off. In another second, she realised who this was, but was a little dumbfounded. "Haruhiko?"

"Looks like I got here just in time."

"How though?"

"I just happened to be in the area, this is the beach closest to your place, so I came here as quickly as I could."

She fell silent, not sure if this was lucky or not. He slowed down, so that he wasn't dragging her anymore, and they walked to his car together. "You don't mind if I get your seat wet, do you?"

"It's fine." He said. "What were you doing out there anyway? It's dark and raining…"

"Usagi-san and I had a fight, and well, I ran away and ended up here."

"Who was that guy?"

"I don't know, a fan of mine I think. I'm just glad to be away from him."

"And you made him call me?"

"Well, he asked for my number, I didn't think he'd call it right away, and I suspected that if he called you, he'd just assume you were my boyfriend and leave me alone…"

He fell silent. "Well, I'm glad you thought of me." He thought about what to say next, given the information he was given. "I suppose you can't go home if you had a fight with my brother. Do you want to come to my place?"

"…No, not really. I'm not in the mood for that. But, if you want, we could go to a hotel…" She sobbed slightly, but composed herself and tried to look stoic.

He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, do you want to get ice cream or something hot before we go? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Hmm, I don't need to go to the hospital, I don't think I caught a cold that fast."

"Alright then." Misaki immediately began falling asleep, so he went straight to the nearest hotel he could think of. "You know, Akihiko only causes trouble for you. I would never force you outside, especially in the rain at night."

His words were lost on her, as she had already fallen asleep. He hoped that the hotel staff wouldn't think he drugged her, or kidnapped her.

Being unconscious, Misaki had to be carried in by Haruhiko. He didn't have any trouble doing it, and luckily the staff didn't question him too much. He carried her to the elevator, which was vacant except for them, and then made his way to their room.

Misaki was still asleep, but shivering. Haruhiko swallowed, and knew he'd have to get her out of those wet clothes, but he didn't want to do it while she was unconscious. Sure he'd seen her naked before, but this seemed invasive. Still, for her well-being, he'd have to get her out of the wet clothes. So he went into the bathroom and got a towel, and while trying his hardest not to look, started taking off her clothes. Somehow he succeeded, and immediately wrapped the towel around her. For a while he wandered the room, wondering what he should do. He certainly couldn't leave her here alone, and the more he thought about it, his top priority should be to keep her warm so that she didn't catch a cold. He remembered that the best way to warm someone up was through skin to skin contact. He swallowed, feeling nervous. Eventually he settled on keeping her warm, and took off his clothes and joined her in bed. His arms wrapped around her and he felt his warmth leaving him for her, and he was okay with that. Content, he fell asleep.

In the morning, Misaki woke up first, still feeling rattled by the events of the previous night. Though, she became even more shocked once she realised she was lying naked next to an equally naked Haruhiko. Having little memory of what happened last night, she immediately leapt up, waking Haruhiko.

"What's wrong?" He said, startled.

"What happened with us last night?" She looked at him suspiciously, as if accusing him of taking advantage of her.

"Not a lot, I didn't do anything you wouldn't object to. I just tried to keep you warm so you wouldn't catch a cold." He blushed slightly, feeling guilty.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but um, I'll go." He was feeling too guilty and awkward to stay, so he quickly collected his clothes and left. Misaki was alone then, and for a few seconds was shocked and dumbfounded.

It didn't take long for her to start crying again, though she was certain it was because Haruhiko was so quick to leave her. She didn't even get a chance to explain what happened, and she wasn't mad at him, just surprised. The events of last night had seriously shaken her up, and she just wanted him to be there for her while she got out her emotion.

Eventually she dried her eyes and located her clothes. Her cell phone was still in it, and while shaking she sent a simple message to Haruhiko, 'please come back.' She didn't know if he'd actually heed her words, but right now she had no one else to turn to. Being alone right now was not something she wanted to deal with, and she certainly couldn't go back to Usagi, not yet anyway. She didn't receive a return text, so she'd just wait and see what unfolded.


	41. Chapter 41

A/N: And I want to be the good guy so bad, in fact it's in my head. She says something that bothers me, just a ta-a-ad, but I will hold it in instead. 33-5=28

Hey look, an update on Thursday! That's a new and shocking development.

* * *

Haruhiko was well on his way out of the hotel, and managed to make his way down the road on foot without devolving into stark panic. He had a feeling that he'd over stepped his boundaries, but that was never his intention. Her indignation was justified, at least in his mind, so he wouldn't bother her further.

Time passed and Haruhiko made it to a coffee shop. He sat at a table alone feeling sorry for himself, but also feeling concerned for Misaki's wellbeing. She had been unable to elaborate on what happened with Akihiko, and he felt like he should be there to help her through her troubles. When his cell phone chimed, he was a little hesitant to check it, thinking Misaki was going to berate him. Still, he felt he deserved whatever wrath she could bestow upon him and checked the message anyway. To his surprise and delight, her message called him back to her. He didn't need to be told twice. He ran as fast as he could back to the hotel, his coffee forgotten on the table.

He entered, pausing a moment to assess the situation. Misaki was still seated on the bed but her eyes were red as if she'd be crying. She looked up at Haruhiko, but her expression was unreadable. "You came back."

"Yeah." He replied nervously, then approached. Misaki made no move, so he sat beside her. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know. Last night something happened, I never thought something like that could ever happen." She paused, looking at Haruhiko to make sure she wasn't rambling, and to see if he actually cared what she had to say on the matter.

"What happened?"

"Last night Usagi hit me…"

"What?!"

"I never thought he'd do something like that, but his paranoia has gotten out of control. I don't know if I can go back there. What should I do?"

"You can stay with me." He said without thinking. He didn't know if she'd be offended at a time like this, but he certainly wasn't about to let her wander the streets.

In her emotional state, this seemed like a great idea. "I'd- actually like that."

"Really?!"

"Yeah…" Her bitterness toward Usagi made the choice much easier. For now she'd have no problem betraying Usagi. "I'll go anywhere with you right now. We could go back to the cabin, or stay here, I don't care, it's up to you. Oh, but I don't have anything packed…"

"That's fine, I can get you whatever you need."

"Thank you." She said meekly. "I guess I don't mind if we go now, unless we're staying here?"

"I think we should go somewhere else. Akihiko might be able to see us if we stay here."

"You're right, we should get as far away from him as possible." Hearing that made Haruhiko happy.

They left shortly after, and started driving. Haruhiko decided they'd go somewhere other than his cabin, he hoped she wouldn't mind. During the ride she didn't ask many questions, and they avoided talking about Akihiko pretty much the whole time, as neither of them wanted to bring up the recent turmoil. The atmosphere became light hearted and both of them were able to relax.

Eventually they arrived in what appeared to be a small town. Misaki appeared to be curious. "Where is this?"

"A place I used to go as a kid." He said, being intentionally vague.

"Good enough." She didn't know if she should press or not, and decided she'd just let Haruhiko lead and say whatever he wanted.

"Sometimes I'd come here with my mother. It would be just us sometimes."

"Oh…"

"I guess that's why I have such fond memories of this place."

"I see…"

"When I came here I always thought about the nature of the relationships in my family. I always felt trapped in my father's shadow you know? I always felt like a slave, but And then when my mother died, we all stopped coming here."

"That's so sad. Are you okay?"

He brought his arm across his eyes as if he were wiping away tears. "Yeah, I've come to terms with all of this long ago. And now that I have you, I can start to make some new memories, happier memories."

They both smiled then. "Well if we're going to make new memories, where should we start?" Misaki was getting a little tired of being tied up in drama, and so a mini vacation would be a great remedy to the events of late. Since they were in a small town, they could easily find harmless things to do.

"I can think of a few things." He said with a slight grin. "Come with me."

They wandered around until they reached a stream that ran into a lake. There was a path all around the lake surrounded by trees and rocks. "This is a nice hike, let's go."

"Sounds good."

They started their walk, and eventually they came to a hill. Haruhiko playfully picked her up and carried her on his back. She didn't object since she thought this action was pretty cute and walking up the hill was tiring. They walked around and strayed off the path a few times, eventually ended with Misaki slipping off of his shoulders and falling into the lake. Neither seemed too broken up about that, and they laughed together. Haruhiko offered his hand and pulled her out of the water. "I don't want you catching a cold…" He said after they shared a laugh together.

"I think I'll be fine, but if you really want to help me out, you could always give me your shirt…"

He raised an eyebrow, not sure if she was trying to be seductive or not. Still though, He took his shirt off and gave it to her, she grinned and started shamelessly stripping off, catching Haruhiko off guard. Still, he didn't look away, and she didn't ask him too.

His shirt was big enough to fit like a dress on her. It hung down almost to her knees, and she was completely fine with just wearing his shirt. Finally, she offered up her panties to him. "These are for you. Consider it a payment for the shirt."

"Err, really?"

"Yeah. And I'll keep this shirt and never wash it so it'll always have your scent on it."

He blushed, flattered by her gesture. Misaki took a few seconds to admire his physique. For an awkward dork, he was certainly well built, possibly even more well built than his brother. "Well anyway, do you have a place we can stay while we're here?"

"I could take you to a place I own, or we could go to a hotel…"

"I don't mind staying at your place, just as long as you know who doesn't go there…"

"Don't worry, there's no chance of him showing up here. It'll be just us, and possibly some of the wait staff."

"It's fine then. Let's get going." As much as she didn't mind being alone with Haruhiko, she was a little worried that someone might see her nearly naked in just a shirt with nothing underneath.

"Alright."

Despite everything, she had fun with him. It didn't seem like a traditional kind of bonding experience, but then again the circumstances weren't exactly standard.

Just as they were about to turn in for the night, they somehow ran into Tanaka the butler. He appeared to be just surveying the area, but once he noticed Haruhiko, he seemed to hone in on him. They were all equally surprised to see each other, but Tanaka was quick to clear his throat and start speaking.

"Ah, Haruhiko. I'm so glad I ran into you. I have some news, though it's not exactly good."

"Really? Well, what is it?"

"Your father has fallen ill, it's not looking good for him."

"Oh, I see." He remained stoic, as he didn't know to feel about this development. "Where is he now?"

Tanaka gave him a location, Haruhiko claimed he'd go meet with his father. All the while Misaki remained quiet, wondering if she should give this news to Akihiko. In the end she decided against it, since she couldn't think of a reason for why she would know this.


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: Shiver and shake like a rattle, more high strung than a gallows, and if I wake up tomorrow there's no stopping me. 28+4-6=26

Housekeeping and cleaning out some concepts. Telling everywhere. LET'S GET READY FOR LET DOWN!

* * *

(Flashback- Meeting Misaki.)

On moving in day, Misaki brought in all of her stuff and entered the house nonchalantly but with a bit of nervousness. Inside was just as spacious as she imagined, and fairly pristine. She looked around, it was quiet except for what she determined to be light snoring coming from somewhere. At the time, she didn't want to wake him, as he was nice enough to let her live with him. She walked around aimlessly for a while, looking around.

Misaki observed, then decided to pick up a book. She leafed through the pages, until the name 'Takahiro' caught her eye. She stopped then, and read the entirety of that one page. "'Takahiro wrapped his arms around his new lover, and he reciprocated with a soft kiss. 'Even though we're both men, can you love me?' Takahiro asked. 'Of course, I'd love you no matter what…' The two then shared their affection, while Manami was left in the loving care of Akihiko…' WHAT?!" There was no way that could be a coincidence, the names, the circumstance, it had to be based on real life. Misaki wasn't going to stand for that! So she strode right into his room unannounced to confront him.

She kicked the door to his room open with no particular plan of attack and started ranting. "Hey you! What's the big idea writing stories about my brother doing weird stuff?! You leave my brother out of your weird fantasies!" While her indignation lingered, she was stopped instantly by the death glare she was met with. She wanted to keep acting like she had the high ground, but her logical facilities were telling her to run.

Before she could get her legs working, she was approached by the very sleepy, but yet very intimidating Akihiko heading straight for her. She froze in place while he sized her up. His gaze was disinterested and also intimidating at the same time. Instead of taking any violent action, he just picked her up, carried her out of his room, and closed the door behind him. Misaki could hear some shifting, like the door was being barricaded, and then covers shift as if he went back to bed. She was left feeling both relieved and infuriated.

With this little roadblock, she idled her time away by transferring all of her stuff into a vacant room. That didn't take too long, and so she was left just sitting around, watching the clock, until she could confront her new tutor properly. It was a while before he woke, and when he did emerge from his room, he appeared to be only marginally less agitated than when she woke him, but he didn't acknowledge her presence.

"Hey you! What's the big idea having my brother do weird things in your novels?!"

He sighed and tried to ignore her. She persisted though, so he gave in. "Those are just my fantasies. How about you stop being a snoop and show a little gratitude to the man allowing you to stay with him?"

She pouted, but neither party said anything after that. Misaki just retired to her room for the night.

XXX

During her first days in the university, Misaki was largely avoided by everyone. Perhaps arriving in a flashy sports car had mad everyone intimidated by her perceived wealth, but assuming that didn't make Misaki any happier about being alone. She was starting ot think her entire university experience would be cold and lonely thanks to her tutor's opulence, until she happened upon a fateful encounter.

She had walked past the bulletin board several times and never noticed the school's happenings, but for some reason she decided to give it a read. Most of it was standard fare for university, but what really caught her attention was the appearance of her favorite mangaka Ijuuinin an upcoming convention. Her heart fluttered and suddenly she became excited. Finally something to look forward to! Naturally she didn't tell anyone of her elation, she doubted anyone would listen anyway. That was, until her next class.

Miyagi's class was one she had picked up on a whim, it only seemed marginally relevant to her interests. She didn't regret it though, as someone nearby noticed her The Kan keychain and took interest in it. "You're a fan of The Kan?" She asked with only marginal enthusiasm.

Misaki perked up immediately. "Yeah! You are too?"

"…Kinda, I guess."

Misaki didn't want to cause too much trouble and kept her excitement low key. This was possibly the first real interaction she had with anyone since arriving, and she didn't want to squander the chance for friendship. "Did you know that the mangaka is making an appearance here soon?"

"…Not really, I'm not a student here. Not yet."

Misaki raised an eyebrow. "You're not a student here?"

"I just came to see someone. He'll probably drive me home once he sees me invading his workspace."

"Oh." Misaki didn't push the issue, as she thought this would be the last time they would see each other. Though, the ever clever Shinobu was a few steps ahead of her.

"If you're the kind of person who goes to conventions, I don't mind going with you. You'll have to get me in though, since I don't have a student I.D.."

"Huh?" Misaki was so caught off guard that she could hardly respond. She didn't know that Shinobu was only using that as an excuse to get onto campus again so she could scope out Miyagi, so she'd take it. "You want to see Ijuuin-sensei, with me?"

Shinobu shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Misaki jumped up in elation, grabbing Shinobu's hands and thinking 'my first friend!' It wouldn't be until later that she discovered that Shinobu was actually younger than her, and that was the reason why she wasn't currently enrolled, but that wouldn't stop their friendship from growing.

XXX

Days passed and eventually Misaki and Usagi became a couple after much arguing and misunderstandings. Usagi was quick to show off his jealous side, at first it was kind of cute to see him fretting over every guy who dared approach her, but it quickly became tiring and Misaki scolded him endlessly for it.

Him writing out his fantasies and selling them to the public quickly became obnoxious and Misaki voice her displeasure frequently to no avail. In some cases when she complained about his fantasies being too graphic or disgusting or embarrassing he'd haul her into his room to prove her wrong. She wouldn't complain after they were done, but she'd complain upon getting dragged mostly because she felt like she wasn't being taken seriously (which she wasn't). This appeared to be their standard of living until Misaki managed to hook a job at Marukawa Publishing, in which she was assigned the position of editing. Occasionally she'd come into contact with Ijuuin and was even offered to help edit his work on occasion. At first it was like a dream come true, until Usagi's jealousy began to flare. He'd complain to her as soon as she got off work about her adoration for Ijuuin and his manga and how he felt ignored and lonely and that she didn't appreciate his writing in the same way. He'd tell her every chance he got that he wanted her to stop working and that she didn't even need to work because he was rich and the little bit she made didn't even come close to what he did. A few times Misaki felt like retorting with her own feelings of jealousy, how she felt when he was surrounded by fans or when girls she knew gushed about him. She always stopped herself though, as she could never admit that to him, and knew that if she ever showed a sign of weakness like that he'd exploit it to no end.

She wouldn't give up her job anyway, since not only did she get to work with her idol sometimes, but she also got sneak peeks at upcoming volumes. Ijuuin was unusually attentive to Misaki and her suggestions whenever they were together, and was unusually blunt about his affections for her. While she didn't exactly reciprocate, she was flattered nonetheless.

Knowing ahead of time what would happen in The Kan made her popular among The Kan community, which she had become acquainted with during the convention event earlier. She had no problem teasing her fellow fans with ambiguous news about upcoming storylines, but she never went as far as to spoil something.

Her popularity among The Kan fans had grown so much that many a love letter from her admirers ended up coming home with her. It wasn't long until Usagi discovered one, and immediately he assumed the worst. He was quick to confront Misaki and an argument ensued, and ended with him demanding Misaki quit the university.

Their relationship was on the rocks for days, with open hostility and threats on both sides. Misaki wasn't going to give up her education no matter what, and Usagi wasn't about to concede that his jealousy was unfounded. Misaki had to distance herself from her friends before he went back to normal.


	43. Chapter 43

A/N: Chilly wind and wanderlust, I've been out here for so long- choking on the diamond dust. And the symphony is gone, gone, gone. Are you tangled in the trees? Did it bring you to your knees? Have you had enough of me? Hey you... 26-6=20

* * *

In the morning, Misaki and Haruhiko made preparations to visit Fuyuhiko in the hospital. Haruhiko appeared forlorn, but that made perfect sense to Misaki. She knew what it was like to lose parents, and she expected Haruhiko was feeling similarly now. Sure Fuyuhiko wasn't dead yet, but Sebastian did say that it wasn't looking good. Haruhiko was probably already expecting the worst, so she'd try to be gentle as he dealt with it.

Haruhiko sighed and Misaki put her hand on his shoulder as a gesture of support. He regarded her with an unreadable expression. "Hey, don't worry. It's going to be alright."

"I'm a little worried, my relationship with my father isn't really the greatest, I wonder if he'll even want to see me."

"Don't talk like that! I lost both of my parents, you need to strengthen your bond with your father while you can. Who know how much time he has left? You need to use what little time he has left to let him know how you feel, so neither of you will have any regrets."

"…You're right. Let's go, I don't want to waste a second."

Misaki nodded and they left for the hospital in the car.

About half way through the trip, Haruhiko said something unexpected. "Do you remember the kids that appeared at the cabin that one time?"

Misaki was caught off guard by being asked that so suddenly, but responded anyway. "Yeah, but why ask that?" She was curious, but for some reason she felt like it wouldn't be good.

"After you left, they appeared again. This time they were in worse condition, with visible injuries. When I called the police this time they told me that their parents are under investigations for child abuse. They were placed in foster care after that."

"What?! That's terrible!"

"Well when I heard of this I started taking steps to adopt them. Now though, with everything that's going on, I'm not so sure if this was the right time to do it."

Misaki was astounded, and left momentarily speechless. Once she had sorted out that information, she began articulating her thoughts. "If you're really serious about adopting them, then you shouldn't let anything stop you."

"But do you think they'll be okay with me? I don't really know anything about being a father. I didn't learn anything about parenting from my father."

"But you remember the time you had with your mother right? I think you'll be a great father." She said reflexively.

"I don't know about that. Will you help me if I need you?"

"But I don't know a thing about being a parent either. I mean, I babysat Mahiro a few times but that was only for a few hours. I wouldn't know how to take care of children full time, every day…"

"I'm sure you'd be a wonderful mother."

Suddenly the atmosphere in the car became a little awkward, so Misaki thought of something she could say to change the subject. "What will happen to the company if your father is unable to run it?"

"Hmm, I think if he becomes disabled, or worse, then someone else will have to take it over. I'm guessing he's already chosen a successor."

"Really? What do you think, will you be the successor?"

"I doubt it will be me. I have even more doubt that it will be Akihiko, but if it does go to my brother I know that it will go under. He's not responsible enough to run a company."

"You got that right. He's such a kid. Why does he treat everyone else like a kid when he's the biggest kid I know."

Haruhiko suppressed a slight grin. He knew he shouldn't be happy at a time like this, but her comment did lift his spirits. "He's definitely unfit to live as an adult."

"You should totally inherit the company. You're the better choice, you're a mature adult who can get things done on time. You'd make a great boss too I'm sure."

"Now that I think about it, if I had a company to run, that would probably mean I wouldn't have much time to raise a family."

"Hmm, you're right, but I'm sure you could afford the best daycare, and I could look after them sometimes too."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." He said, finally feeling a little better. He was still prepared for the worst, but at least his spirits were lifted a little.

When they arrived, Haruhiko immediately asked to see his father, giving the number of the room. Before they could be directed, he was informed that his father had died earlier. He immediately became overcome with grief and they both went back to the car.

They sat in silence for a while, with Misaki unable to think of any words of comfort. Haruhiko had an unreadable expression for a few long minutes, until he eventually began sobbing. Misaki rubbed his back and offered silent comfort while he poured out his emotions.

He sobbed for a few minutes, but eventually he ran out of tears and dried his eyes. Misaki kept a hand on his shoulder, wondering if she should say anything.

"I really didn't expect to hear that. I don't know what I should do."

"It must be hard, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I guess it was his time." At that he started up the car, ready to go back to his place. "I guess I'll just have to think about what my life will be like going forward." He was already an adult and had lived independent of his father for years. Now though, his father's absence in his life had become very apparent, and it was weighing heavy in his mind.

They drove home in relative silence. They entered the house, and there appeared to be a heavy air between them. Misaki didn't know if she should try to keep her distance or if she should try to comfort him some more, but the decision was soon made for her when he wrapped his arms around her seeking comfort.

Haruhiko tried to speak, but his words only came out in a jumbled mess.

"Calm down Haruhiko, I'm here for you."

He continued mumbling for a few seconds, until he composed himself enough to speak.

"Hey, I know this is kind of a weird thing to bring up at a time like this, but do you remember what I told you about Akihiko and Kamijou in the past?"

She hesitated, feeling conflicted after being reminded of an event that caused much turmoil in her relationship. "Yeah, but what brought that up?"

"I just wanted to say that I was never with anyone other than you, and I could never be with anything other than you. It would feel like cheating to me, even if you rejected me."

Misaki was flattered but still conflicted about being told this during such a sensitive time. She continued to hold him until he became somewhat limp, and then she pushed him away. He wore an expression of fatigue and slight confusion. "Are you okay?" Misaki asked, realising that Haruhiko must be a mess of emotion after the current events.

He stared into her eyes for a few seconds before turning away. "I love you." He said suddenly, though his tone was slightly uneven and chaotic. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."

"Haru-"

"Thanks for being there for me." He clutched her once more. She was pulled into a tight hug in which she couldn't escape from, not that she wanted to. Eventually he let her go and turned away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be pushing all of this on you. This is my problem, I don't want you sharing in my negative emotions…" He was about to leave the house, and go nowhere in particular. Misaki, in a split second decision, lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him. He froze, not expecting her to stop him.

"You don't have to deal with this alone Haruhiko. I'm here for you, I don't want to see you suffer." Her grip on him tightened. For some reason she was also on the verge of tears, probably because seeing Haruhiko in pain was causing her distress. "I- I love you too. Don't cry, let me share your pain, I want to help…"

"Misaki?" He almost choked on his words, at a lost to properly articulate the mess of emotion welling up inside him.

"I love you."

"Misaki…"

He broke her grip and tuned to face her. They embraced, until eventually Haruhiko felt so completely burnt out that he let her go again. Misaki could see the fatigue in his face and cleared her throat nervously. "I think you need a rest. We should go to bed."

"…Okay." He conceded. He was tired, and after all that went on that day, he knew he'd have to be of sound mind to sort out everything he was feeling. Hand in hand, they went to bed together.


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: You can say it any way you want to, you can frame it any way you can, but I can tell you I've read the fine print, written by your steady hand. You can say it any way you want to, you can frame it any way you can, but what's behind your good intentions? In your heart a hidden hand? 20-5=15.

* * *

Hearing Haruhiko mention Usagi's past relationship with Kamijou stirred up all kinds of memories. While they stayed up for a while, mostly so that Misaki could comfort and support Haruhiko through kind words and cuddles, when they did actually fall asleep her mind was assaulted by unearthed memories.

A long time ago, Misaki had run into Haruhiko purely by chance. He was struck by her features and remembered her as the little girl who had run away from her brother that one time. He approached and asked her if she remembered him, but she just stared at him in a confused manner and said she didn't. Despite this awkward introduction, they ended up talking. Misaki was shocked to learn that the man talking to her was actually the brother of her boyfriend. For some reason she felt like she could trust him and began venting her frustrations to him. She spoke at length about how her boyfriend acted like a kid and never seemed to take responsibility for anything, and how he treated her like she was the kid in that relationship. She complained that he was lazy and selfish and insufferable at times. None of this was new, she had voiced these opinions to Usagi several times in the past, but he never heeded it.

The strangest thing she said regarding the matter was that she felt inferior to him, despite his childlike nonchalance about everything. She felt like she wanted someone more on her level, in terms of money and fame. Haruhiko pressed her a little on that statement, and she just explained that rich and powerful people just seemed out of her league. For some reason her explanation offended him.

The tow of them ended up at a bar, and they shared a few drinks together. Being as small as she was, it didn't take long for her to get a little tipsy. They continued to chat long into the night, until finally Haruhiko invited her to his hotel room. Being drunk as she was, she never thought twice about accepting such an offer and assumed it was completely innocent.

They arrived in Haruhiko's room and Misaki collapsed sloppily on his bed. The words spoken in that were still vivid in her mind years later.

"You know, you're not Akihiko's first love." Haruhiko wasn't sure why he brought that up, maybe it was to make her jealous. He didn't expect her to just dump him after knowing that though, since it wasn't unusual for people to have multiple crushes and partners during their lifetime.

"Mmm, that doesn't surprise me." She mumbled. "He's a total sleazebag. I bet he's had a lot… before me."

"He's done some awful things to the girls that liked him though, there was this one time when he blindfolded himself and had sex with a girl while pretending she was someone else."

Somehow hearing that made her angry, a lot angrier than she thought she'd' be upon hearing about her boyfriend's past exploits. Perhaps it was the thought of him using other girls to his own selfish ends, maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was the alcohol messing her reasoning skills. Maybe it was the thought of him imagining someone else other than her, even if it was before he knew of her. Whatever the reason, she'd make sure to confront him and work out her feelings of anger. "How do you know this?" She mumbled, unsure if she should press further on this topic.

"…I seen this first hand. He was with someone named Kamijou, who I think is a professor now. I've only seen her a few times, but it was pretty clear that she liked him."

"…Kamijou?" Misaki's mind went straight to the professor known to throw things in the university. Was that the same person Haruhiko was talking about?

Right now though, she was drunk and tired and on the verge of drifting off to sleep. She was completely oblivious to the potential danger lurking. "Mmm, anyway, I'll think about it tomorrow. Good night."

Haruhiko had misinterpreted many signals that night and was closing in on her. Since he was so inexperienced, he just leaned in close to gage her reaction.

Naturally Misaki, even during as she was, didn't appreciate him invading her space. It never occurred to her that his room only had one bed in it. "Hey." She mumbled, but Haruhiko didn't slow. Eventually, when he made contact with her, she mustered all of the strength she had and slapped him away. She then stood on shaky legs and staggered out of that room.

Her memory was a little fuzzy after that, but she did remember the morning after that encounter. It started out like any other day, except for the hung over headache she had. Fragments of the conversation she had last night lingered in her mind, and eventually she built up the courage to say what was on her mind. "hey Usagi-san, did you ever know a girl named Kamijou?"

He raised an eyebrow at such an oddly specific question. "Yes, I did once know a Kamijou Hiroki, why do you ask?"

"Well, I was told that you had sex with a girl named Kamijou, but you wore a blindfold and pretended she was someone else. That's not true is it?"

"How did you come to know something like that?" He was clearly not pleased with her prying into his past like that.

"So it IS true!" She said, ignoring his increasingly annoyed tone. "How could you do something like that?!"

"Relax, this was long before I met you."

"That's not the point! I can't believe you'd do such a horrible thing!"

"What are you talking about?! You're way over reacting!"

"Do you think about other girls when you're with me?"

"Of course not, if I did I'd be saying their name instead of yours. Now stop this irrational worrying, it's making you look stupid."

She felt hurt after hearing hose words. It was just like him to ignore or downplay her feelings. Right now she wasn't in the mood to put up with his shenanigans, so she just left for class early in a huff. He didn't bother to chase after her.

What happened after that was a series of emotions decisions that quickly turned into an unexpected journey and later a tryst. She spoke with Shinobu who was also experiencing problems in her relationship, and the two of them got to talking about the exchange program offered by the university. At first it started out as a typical getaway fantasy, but the more they talked about it, the more it seemed like a legitimate idea. After a long discussion, it seemed like a great idea to leave for America just to annoy their boyfriends with an unexplained absence. So that's exactly what they did. They signed up for the program and within the week they were on the place to a new continent with almost no warning to their boyfriends.

There was much protest from Usagi, he was visibly, outwardly angry that she was taking off to America with only a day's notice. He ranted endlessly trying to convince her to stay, but she was hearing none of it. She was still mad at him for downplaying her feelings and being so completely shameless in the past. A part of her was happy to hear him beg her to stay, but it was too late, everything was already put into place and she wasn't about to cancel her plans.

She only knew Shinobu, everyone else was just a faceless nobody to her on this trip. Shinobu shared in her bitterness, and they revelled in their anger during the entirety of the flight. When they arrived they were assigned a hotel room and given instructions on where classes would start. Now that they were there though, the nervousness finally started to creep in. Shinobu was stoic and nonchalant as ever, but Misaki started shaking. This was a place vastly different from what she was used to, everything was in English, and she wasn't sure about the culture. Bidding Shinobu farewell, she went right to her room.

Not long after she got a text from Usagi claiming that she was only going so far away because she was having an affair with Shinobu of all people, she just laughed at his ridiculous insecurity and didn't bother to respond.

After unpacking, she wondered if she should look around. The time difference was pretty massive, but she wasn't feeling the jetlag yet. Eventually she steeled herself and made her way to the lobby, and eventually to the bar. Naturally it was full of Americans and English filled her ears, making her feel slightly uneasy. She wandered around and sized up her surroundings, making note of the various drinks available and astounded at the number of slot machines hanging around.

All of a sudden she caught sight of another Japanese person, sitting at the edge of the bar looking forlorn. She wondered then if she should approach him and try to strike up a conversation. Maybe he was bilingual and knew the area better than her, or perhaps he was Japanese American who didn't actually speak Japanese. At the risk of feeling isolated, she approached.


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: Okoshi ni kiteyo shiro usagi, fushigi na kuni he to tsuretette, makka na ginga furisosogu, hontou no watashi wo sotto nemurasete. 20-15=5.

No need to try and butter me up. If you don't like it, you don't need to pretend like you do. It's almost over anyway. The ending will be short and there will only be one of them.

* * *

It had been days since Akihiko had seen Misaki, and it gave him a lot of time to reflect on his actions. Sure he knew that his jealousy wasn't going away anytime soon, but he realised that his actions were out of line and unwarranted. He'd have to work on that in the future, but right now he was worried about where Misaki went after she ran out on him and if she was okay. Though, he was hesitant to call her since he assumed she'd still be mad at him. On the other hand, maybe she was only left to get even angrier if he didn't call and apologise. Over the last few days he had become a wreck wondering what to do. The loneliness and guilt were eating at his conscious, so he felt like he couldn't wait any longer. He'd just call and apologise and take whatever wrath she had for him, because he felt like he deserved it.

He dialed her cell phone number and waited nervously for her to pick up.

XXX

Misaki and Haruhiko were in the process of making Fuyuhiko's funeral arrangements, when her cell phone rang. She recognised the number and hesitated to answer, but figured he might be calling about his father, or something of that nature. With a sigh she answered. "Hello?"

"Misaki, I'm sorry. I know what happened was unforgivable, I'll understand if you're angry and never want to see me again. But I'm sorry. I'm really, truly sorry. I'm- so sorry."

She raised an eyebrow, but for some reason was willing to hear him out. "Really now, what made you think hitting me was a good idea?" She wondered then, if he already knew about his father. She'd be a little gentler knowing that he might be feeling the pain of loss.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking when I did that. I'll make sure that never happens again. I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

By now Haruhiko was listening in closely, assuming it was his brother on the phone. He raised an eyebrow and awaited Misaki's response, only hearing half of the conversation.

"I don't know, if you're willing to hit me once, what's going to stop you from doing you again? What's going to stop you from doing it again? What's going to happen if something happens that bothers you? Are you going to do it again?"

"I promise you that I'll never do it again. I would never do something like that to you. I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. Come back, please…"

She sighed heavily, and decided to tell him the news. Since he hadn't brought it up yet, she assumed he wasn't made aware of it yet. "Listen, did you get any news about your father?" She wanted to know his emotional state before she said anything else regarding their relationship.

There was a silence, as Usagi was pretty stunned by the sudden topic change. "I haven't. Is there something you need to tell me?"

"Your father has passed away." She said with slightly more gentleness than before. "Sebastian told me. I take it he hasn't told you?"

"…I was not told this." His tone indicated that he wasn't too broken up about the situation, but he was well aware that he could use this situation to his advantage. "Misaki, I don't want to be alone. Won't you come back?"

She knew exactly what he was doing, and yet, she knew she couldn't just ignore him either. Knowing the pain of losing a parent made her want to sympathise with him, and at least give him some emotional support. "I'll come and see you, I guess. I'm not staying too long though."

"Where are you now?" He asked suddenly.

"I'm staying in a hotel." She lied. If she had let Takahiro in on what was going on, she could have lied and said she was with him. Though, she hadn't mentioned a thing to him about the incident with Usagi, and thinking about it now, it would only cause him distress. So she wouldn't burden her brother with trivial things. "I'll call a cab and get to you that way."

"Thank you." He said all with satisfaction. "I'll wait for you. Should I pick something up for you? Can I get you anything?"

"No." She responded. "I'll just come over, don't you do anything." At that, she hung up. She sighed then. "Haruhiko, do you mind if I go back to the house for a bit?"

"Er, not at all. I can drive you, you don't need a cab."

"You know, I think we should come clean to him. If you're going to drive me there, we might as well tell him what's been going on between us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, I want to get it out there. If he gets violent again, at least you'll be there." She said with a shrug.

Haruhiko appeared visibly angry at the thought of Misaki being assaulted. His heightened emotional state would likely cause him to react violently if Misaki was in danger. "Alright, let's go."

While neither of them were particularly excited to see Akihiko again, and the timing for telling him all about what was going on couldn't be worse, but they seemed ready for it anyway.

Once they reached the house, both of them exited the car. Together they knocked on the door, and an eager Akihiko answered it. He was about to launch into a hug toward Misaki, but he hesitated when he saw Haruhiko there. His demeanor changed in an instant to one of apologetics to one of suspicion. "What's he doing here?" He said, dropping pretenses of begging for forgiveness.

"I lied about staying in a hotel, I was actually staying with Haruhiko." She said bluntly, Haruhiko stayed silent. "I've actually been staying with him for a while. What do you think of that?"

His eye twitched and he was noticeably angry, but he tried to keep a cool head. "I suppose he's here to negotiate the division of our assets?" He glared at his brother, not really in the mood for financial negotiations. "Send him away, I'm not in the mood to see him."

"Well, I wanted to tell you that after today, I'll be staying with Haruhiko permanently." This wasn't exactly the emotional support she expected to give him, but she was still mad about him hitting her so being gentle was harder than expected. "And just so you know, he's the Akira number. It was him under a disguised name."

His eyes widened in shock and horror as his worst fears were realised.

"You know, I thought about coming here to make you feel better about losing your father, but you seem to be taking it rather well." She looked up to Haruhiko then, who was wearing an unreadable expression that was very sharp.

"You're probably well aware of this, but we don't yet know about the inheritance. I'm sure Tanaka will tell us about the will in time."

Akihiko scoffed, but he was well aware that there was a vast amount of capital in the Usami name. He glared at the two of them, but eventually invited them in. What he really wanted to do was talk with Misaki and try to convince her to stay with him, but the more pressing matters took that chance. While the more important matters were brought up, Misaki sat silently. She tried to pay attention to what was going on, but her mind wandered to all the time she had with Usagi in the past. While she didn't entirely regret those times, she couldn't help but feel a little cheated. By now she had made her decision to leave him. She didn't want to risk him hitting her again, and now that he knew that she was with Haruhiko she couldn't imagine him being okay with that. She didn't know if he connected the dots and already figured out that she and Haruhiko had been together in many different romantic ways, but knowing him he would have assumed that even if it wasn't true.

The two brothers begrudgingly engaged in asset negotiations. They would have to consult a lawyer and get into it further. Surely there was a will somewhere, anyone with as much capital as Fuyuhiko would have made a will in his recent years at least. Negotiations could continue after the will was obtained, but Akihiko was completely fine not having any part of the company. They both agreed that was for the best, and that Haruhiko, if anyone, would take control of the company. Akihiko even agreed that he'd had over the company if it was willed to him, only because he didn't want the responsibility of having to manage anything.

In the end when they were done talking, Misaki bid Akihiko adieu and left with Haruhiko. She didn't end up giving him any emotional support, and that was the last time she saw him.

* * *

A/N: As a side note, I don't appreciate being lied to.


	46. Chapter 46

A/N: Your love is an abyss for my heart to eclipse yeah. Might be over now, but I feel it still. 5-5=0

This is the last chapter.

* * *

(The End- a brief summary of where everyone went.)

Haruhiko and Misaki moved in together, and shortly after Haruhiko inherited the company and adopted the kids. Once Haruhiko found his bearings in the company, he proposed to Misaki and they got married shortly after. The wedding wasn't particularly spectacular, it was actually quite humble given how much money each of them had. Takahiro attended and gave his blessings, it went over well. It didn't take long for them to bring another child into the world, a healthy daughter. Their family flourished, and they never wanted for anything. He was still able to spend time with his family and run a company efficiently and everyone around him came to love him for his efficient ideas and exceptional time management.

Misaki became an acclaimed author, spanning many genres and earning many fans. When she wasn't helping out her ever diligent husband run a company, she was working on her next literary masterpiece. With three kids to look after, she also found success writing children's books, with her own kids being her biggest fans. She never had to consort with Akihiko again, and even though they worked within the same company, their paths never crossed. She was always good at interacting with her fans but made sure that no crazy stalkers were ever able to reach her, and with the security Haruhiko was able to afford for her, she continued to write and stay safe. Naturally she helped out her brother whenever she could and gave him everything he could need. In time he became close friends with Haruhiko, and they'd talk about all kinds of general things when they had some spare time.

Akihiko became a reclusive hermit and never found another lover for as long as he lived. His romance novels all ceased and his regular novels became more spaced in their release date. His novels seen a dip in quality for a while, but eventually he was able to write on par with his usual skill. While he remained rich, and had enough money to live lavishly for the rest of his life, his productivity dropped and his motivation was all but gone. He fell into depression knowing that his former girlfriend was now with his arch enemy. He never found another girlfriend and he never got over Misaki. The quality of his work suffered, but his books still saw success when they were released.

Shinobu and Miyagi continued to have a rocky relationship, but somehow they made it work. While Shinobu felt neglected most of the time, she still got short bursts of affections from time to time that kept her with him. She voiced her displeasure several times, and he did try to give her more attention, but it never seemed like enough. She still had enough love for him to put up with his quirky absences, and always did what she could to gain his attention. Occasionally she'd call Misaki and complain, and vent her jealousy about Misaki's perfect relationship. Shinobu never had any children, but she wasn't too broken up about that.


End file.
